As soon as Blake stepped outside, he received a call from the Ancient One.
"Well? Satisfied?"
"Satisfied? I'm beyond satisfied! I can't even express my gratitude. How about I sing a song for you?" Blake, still in high spirits from the senator shouting for his mother, couldn't resist joking with the Ancient One.
"Cut the nonsense. I have no interest in your singing. Just pay up—two hundred million dollars, as promised!" The Ancient One's voice came through the phone, sounding fierce.
Blake never expected that before heading to the hearing, when he went to ask the Ancient One for help, the price would be money.
"You sound like a debt collector! This doesn't seem like something the Sorcerer Supreme would say. How about a discount?" Blake shamelessly asked.
"The Sorcerer Supreme has to eat too. Do you have any idea how many people live at Kamar-Taj? Stop babbling and transfer the money. Or, we can talk about a discount... if you're okay with certain parts of your body being *shortened* while you sleep!"
As the voice came through the phone, a magical energy-formed pair of scissors materialized in front of Blake, snipping threateningly.
"I'll transfer it right away! Right away!" Blake instantly backed down.
Only then did the scissors slowly disappear, and the Ancient One hung up without further word.
Blake's actions caused an uproar both within the government and in the media. The ones having the hardest time were the senators. Vote? Use force? They didn't dare. But they had already made those threats during the hearing.
Now, were they really going to back down after being intimidated by bullets from Blake? That would severely damage the government's image.
The only way out was to officially propose the bill, hold a normal vote, and make it look like it failed by just one or two votes. Everyone would know the real story, but at least it would serve as a fig leaf of respectability.
Just as the Senate was in a bind, Blake made a move that took the pressure off them instantly.
Blake knew when to leave a way out.
After the hearing, he directly pushed Captain America into the spotlight, announcing that the Sky Base would now be under his control.
Who was Captain America? How could anyone believe he would ever threaten national security?
That bill was as good as dead.
Moreover, the fact that Captain America had been rescued from the ice and was still alive became the top headline. No one cared about the bill or the Sky Base anymore. All the public cared about was that their hero had returned.
Indeed, Captain America's influence was that powerful.
The public's excitement even became a bit overwhelming, causing a new set of problems for Blake.
Captain America gave an interview to a TV station, knowing there was no way to avoid the attention. He figured it would be better to let them ask all their questions at once, and then the public's enthusiasm would gradually settle down.
The military also had a vested interest in Captain America. His presence made recruitment much easier. But since there wasn't a major war happening in the world, Blake's "lawnmower and scythe" theory deeply intrigued the Captain. He wasn't interested in returning to the military for now.
Despite that, the military still awarded Captain America a medal, and he recorded a recruitment video for them. After doing all that, he was truly reintegrated into society.
With Captain America's involvement, the Avengers finally felt like a complete team. In terms of intelligence, the former Widows were invaluable. Although they no longer worked for profit or carried out assassinations, their sheer numbers and the diversity of their backgrounds ensured that intelligence kept flowing in from all corners of the world. Natasha would analyze the information and sift out anything valuable, such as potential terrorist activities.
With funding in place, an intelligence network established, and Tony handling equipment support, the team was well-prepared. When action was needed, they all went into the field together. Captain America's decision to join made the team feel truly solid.
Blake finally understood why, in the movies, Tony and Cap were considered the two main pillars of the Avengers. Captain America brought cohesion, set goals, and led the team like the head of a startup, charting a path forward. Tony, on the other hand, acted like the chief operations officer, solving all kinds of logistical problems. From redesigning the base, organizing room layouts, to updating equipment, Tony handled everything in advance.
Together, they were essential—one managing external affairs, the other internal operations. Meanwhile, Blake felt more like the investor, backing the team and staying in the background. But when push came to shove, everyone realized that he was the majority shareholder.
In the training room, Blake had never felt such satisfaction since he arrived in this world. Captain America's appearance earned him 500 system points, and he spent 800 points to redeem an intermediate weapon mastery.
[Intermediate Weapon Mastery: An upgrade from basic mastery, this allowed for greater control over most melee weapons, approaching the level of unity between the user and their weapon.]
After unlocking this skill, holding the Tang sword felt completely different to Blake. The connection between him and the weapon improved drastically. Everything was more intuitive.
Every swing of his sword, even with the same strength, became faster and more powerful. The difference was like watching a pro gamer versus a casual player—the same moves, but vastly different in fluidity and effectiveness.
Yet, even with this upgrade, Blake still couldn't break through Captain America's shield without using his fire powers. Before upgrading his weapon skills, he had fought Cap once, and the results weren't much different from now.
Captain America's reputation as a fifty-fifty fighter was well-earned. He used his shield with such skill that no matter how sharp Blake's strikes were, Cap could always block in time.
The shield's ability to absorb impacts made Blake's raw strength ineffective. No matter how much force Blake put into his strikes, once the shield blocked it, all the shockwaves were absorbed, leaving Cap unharmed.
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