"They… are having a BBQ?"
Logan shielded his eyes with his hand and looked into the distance, then asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, I think so," Storm Ororo Munroe chuckled.
This indicated that Storm was in a relatively good mood, which was quite true considering that Wanda, Thor, and others had saved her during the crisis and seemingly blocked the Hell's Gate. Although the issue wasn't entirely resolved, it alleviated the tense atmosphere.
This scene indeed eased her tension.
"Aren't they quite adorable?"
"Yes, very cute. I think those people could turn us into mincemeat with a single punch. Adorable indeed," Logan snorted.
"They don't seem nervous," Tony's mask automatically lifted, and he was somewhat puzzled. Truthfully, after the intense battle earlier, he felt a bit hungry. He opened his mask but didn't want to see the close-up of the delicious food.
If it weren't for fearing Wanda and Pietro, with his personality, he might have shamelessly joined them for a meal.
To change the subject, he said, "That thing hasn't been dealt with, and they haven't left. It seems like they are waiting for something?" Scott said thoughtfully.
The rest fell into contemplation.
"Why don't we just go over and ask?"
Logan suggested, but everyone looked at him with an expression that clearly said, "You go and ask," which made Logan laugh awkwardly. "Forget it."
Given his small size, he knew his temper too well. If he accidentally angered the other party, he might not even know how he died. He had confidence in his self-healing ability, but considering he was facing people like monsters, he didn't think his self-healing would protect him.
That pitch-black monster couldn't be killed, but it was taken down by having its soul extracted.
Such methods genuinely scared Logan.
If they couldn't destroy your body, they would destroy your soul. That was terrifying.
"Let's wait and see. I feel that things are far from over, and I believe something will happen that will overturn our understanding," Scott frowned.
Then he looked at Jean, who remained silent, with an expression so indifferent that it felt unfamiliar.
"Jean~~"
Time passed slowly, and the entire Greenland Arctic Circle fell into an eerie state. The X-Men and Tony Stark's group stood on the iceberg, watching and waiting.
They watched as the Hell's Gate, covered by two layers of barriers, gradually expanded, with fewer and fewer demons rushing in to die.
On the other side of the iceberg, Wanda, Thor, and others were happily eating barbecue and drinking wine, chatting about their heroic feats during the battle with the demons. The happiest among them was the Hulk.
Hulk's massive body sat on a bench, tearing into a large piece of roast meat with his huge hands, occasionally drinking with Volstagg and others.
That joyful and harmonious atmosphere was something Hulk had never experienced since his creation.
Hulk enjoyed his new friends very much.
This also calmed his usual temper, making him feel very happy.
Hulk's demeanor was also observed by another person.
That was General Ross of the U.S. military.
In the President's office, Ross, wearing a lieutenant general's uniform, stared at the screen showing Hulk eating roast meat with one hand and drinking with Thor and others with the other, feeling secretly angry.
He didn't expect the person he was chasing to appear in such an unexpected place.
Especially considering the power the other displayed in battle, he was both thrilled and angry that he couldn't capture this experiment.
Given the abilities shown, Hulk was the perfect biological weapon in Ross's eyes.
This kind of biological weapon could be mass-produced. Imagine a large number of super soldiers as powerful as the Hulk. It would be the most formidable army on Earth.
No country could be a match for such a perfect army.
Missiles, armies, everything would be torn apart by the Hulk army. In a sense, it could completely dominate the Earth.
However, because he couldn't capture the Hulk, he couldn't advance the biotechnological enhancement project or reverse-engineer the Hulk's super-soldier serum.
The most infuriating part was that Hulk was now being watched by everyone and had already caught the attention of those with ulterior motives. In the future, it would be nearly impossible to capture Hulk discreetly, meaning his plan was likely ruined.
Damn it.
Ross's anger was understandable, but paying attention to the strength Hulk displayed. He was not truly capable of capturing him.
Arrogant Ross, despite knowing Hulk's combat strength, still believed he and his army could handle the situation.
The reason was simple. Growing up in America and joining the military had shaped his inherent belief, further reinforced by Bruce Banner's constant evasion post-Hulk's emergence, that no matter how powerful Hulk was, he still feared Ross and his army.
This mindset laid the groundwork for Ross's future Waterloo incident.
While Ross was still furious, he heard Nick Fury speaking to the President.
"Mr. President, the Avengers Initiative seeks to incorporate forces belonging to our world, members with extraordinary combat capabilities, fully equipped to handle crisis situations."
"For instance, the Hulk's abilities make him a suitable candidate for the Avengers."
Ross glared at Nick Fury, the one-eyed, bald, Black man, with eyes blazing. This guy was trying to steal his target?
However, in the President's office, he couldn't get a word in edgewise. After all, he was only a Lieutenant General.
The President, with a furrowed brow, after reviewing the documents, looked at Nick Fury and questioned: "Director Fury, your documents describe this Avengers group as completely unregulated by the government?"
This statement caused others present to frown and whisper among themselves, clearly displeased with the proposal.
Forming the Avengers wasn't impossible, but a super-powered group not under government control posed a threat not just externally, but potentially to them as well.
Facing the President's query, Nick Fury remain unflustered. He knew why the Avengers Initiative had never been approved.
So he wisely changed his approach.
Rephrasing: "We have never formed such a team, but based on the information we have, unknown threats are always around us."
"We need a large-scale experiment. We need to form such a team to test the effectiveness in dealing with these threats. After all, the power these members possess carries risks of imbalance."
"If things go awry, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Fury smartly framed it from a governmental perspective: forming such a team, if they lost control during a mission, resulting in a disaster, the government would bear the responsibility.
Such a disaster wouldn't be minor.
For instance, if the Avengers were to handle an incident in the Arctic Circle and failed, the U.S. government, endorsing the Avengers, would be held accountable.
America might be the world's superpower, but such global crises involve other nations.
Countries would undoubtedly unite to hold the U.S. accountable, and even America couldn't completely ignore that.
What then?
Fury's idea was strategic: if the U.S. had no control over this team, they would function like covert units executing global missions. If a mission failed, the U.S. wouldn't be held responsible.
The primary reason for forming this team was to address incidents beyond America's capacity.
It was to reassure high-ranking officials, tycoons, and wealthy elites of a stable, safe world.
They didn't care about civilian comfort; they wanted a world-threatening crisis managed.
If they later wanted to form their own private extraordinary forces, they would have to wait.
Fury's point was clear, and everyone understood. Their initial discontent dissipated.
The President's frown eased, adopting a thoughtful look. After a while, he looked at the others: "Gentlemen, what do you think of Director Fury's proposal?"
"I agree."
"I agree."
The attendees immediately raised their hands in agreement. Forming this team meant spending some money and resources. A bit of money to stabilize the world and ensure their safety was reasonable and worthwhile, a small price to pay.
Seeing this, the President nodded and turned to Nick Fury: "Then, Director Fury, since you initiated this plan, you will be responsible for the Avengers Initiative."
"Yes, sir," Fury saluted.
~~~
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— Completed (Chapter 277: Finale)