Chapter 158: Vision
Star-Lord suddenly asked, "Wait a minute, what kind of weapon are you talking about?"
"A battle axe, the battle axe that can kill Thanos!"
"But shouldn't we have such a weapon? I think it can be mass-produced!"
As soon as the words fell, Groot covered his face with a mass of branches and leaves...
"Shut up Quill, you idiot!" Rocket sprayed him in the face: "Do you want Groot to take hormones every day before it's too late to grow?"
Thor smiled faintly: "You can't, because you can't control the power of Stormbreaker at all. Your body will be shattered in an instant, and your spirit will fall into madness."
"So scary?" Drax murmured. Just now he thought that if he could be given such a weapon, he could take revenge with his own hands...
"Is it scary? The stronger the power, the more difficult it is to control. Just like the Power Stone, although it symbolizes the most powerful energy in the universe, none of you can bear its power."
"But, I can!"
On Earth, the Stark had reached the final step.
At the last moment, Stark and Banner discovered an embarrassing problem - the voltage - not enough.
Steve made a suggestion: "Can you use regular electricity more vigorously and increase the voltage? Just like I did on the lab bench back then."
Stark glanced at him: "If you do this, the whole New York will be blacked out. Do you want my Stark Industries to go bankrupt?"
Carol recalled: "If only Thor was here, that guy is a super power bank..."
Jane was dissatisfied: "Hey, hey, don't ignore me! It's just a discharge, I can do it too. Is ten thousand volts enough?"
Bruce Banner nodded excitedly: "Enough is enough! The more power you have, the better the effect!"
Then do it!
Interestingly, the Avengers were worried about making another Ultron, so they all stared at the test bench in full gear, including Stark.
Stark put on the steel suit, Steve raised the invincible shield in front of his chest, Hawkeye opened his bow and set an arrow, Widow Natalia was ready to shoot at any time, even half of Banner's face turned green...
A thunderbolt struck, and the entire experimental platform exploded in an instant, sending debris flying.
A familiar voice sounded: "Gentlemen and ladies, if you had decided to destroy me long ago, why didn't you create me?"
Stark was surprised and delighted. He tentatively asked, "J.A.R.V.I.S?"
The other party sighed: "I am a combination of the two. I don't have J.A.R.V.I.S's loyalty to Mr. Stark, and I don't have Ultron's hatred for the Avengers. So, everyone, please put your weapons away first?"
"I wish people could call me—Vision!"
The red figure stood up slowly, and he turned his head to the side. He seemed dissatisfied with his current image, so he began to change slowly. His red skin was covered with a set of dark clothes, and a long cloak stretched from his shoulders. Extending up and down, it looked very mysterious.
Except for a piece of green surrounding the Mind Stone above his head...
"Hello, Vision. What I want to know most now is, which side are you on?" Steve stepped forward to ask the most crucial question.
Hearing Captain America's words, he finally gave up trying, thought for a while, and said, "I...I think I should, now, be on the side of life!"
The Avengers breathed a sigh of relief.
Stark asked, "Then, do you know what Ultron is doing? He should have uploaded a lot of data into your body before?"
Vision sighed: "Actually, I didn't want to kill Ultron, because I could feel his pain."
The Avengers frowned.
Vision continued: "However, Ultron will transfer this pain to other life. Therefore, we must destroy him, destroy all the weapons he made, and eliminate all traces of him."
"So, do you have any clues?"
"SOKOVIA! Ultron's plan will be carried out in SOKOVIA. He stole a large number of anti-gravity engines, lifted the city of SOKOVIA, raised it to a certain height, and dropped it like a meteorite, thereby destroying the living environment of human beings and destroying humans. Just like the extinction of dinosaurs in ancient times!"
Damn it! The Avengers let out an exclamation in unison, scolding Stark with stern looks.
It's all your fault!
A small meteor hitting the earth? This disaster is huge!
Stark's face was pale and he didn't dare to speak. He was afraid of being beaten by his teammates...
---
Chapter 159: Dismantling The Spaceship With Bare Hands...
The Ravagers got busy, including the Guardians.
It's just that with Thor's help, the atmosphere is a little less tragic.
"Nebula, why didn't Thor come?"
"He said he will appear when he is most needed, Gamora..."
Drax spoke slowly, his tone full of complicated emotions.
"I want to say that I am so grateful to you guys for giving me another chance after my horrendous mistake and happy to have friends again..."
"You're my friend, Quill."
"Thanks."
"This tree is also my friend."
"I am Groot."
"This rabbit..."
"Shut up, I'm not a rabbit!"
Rocket was speechless, why do people always have trouble distinguishing between raccoons and rabbits?
In the sky above Xandar, Ronan's spaceship moved slowly.
Star-Lord and others did not board Ronan's spaceship, but each drove a small flight vehicle to fight Ronan's fleet. Because Thor said so, Ronan gave it to him.
The Secretary-General of Xandar ordered: "All Nova Corps members, set up the formation and network, block the airspace!"
The fighters on Xandar are mainly small fighters, but it is these small fighters that have many powerful abilities.
Combat spaceships are designed to have the function of assembling with each other and can connect energy to form an energy blockade network.
The advantage of a large number is reflected in the tension of the energy network, which is a bit like "using a small amount of force to move a large weight."
The golden blockade blocked Ronan's spaceship, and the huge spaceship could not move.
In the cockpit, Ronan looked at the golden barrier ahead, smiled disdainfully, and announced through the sound system.
"Xandarians, you accept the accusation! That poor peace agreement can't protect you, can't save you, this fire will burn you to ashes!"
He raised the hammer high, and the purple light began to condense. With the power of the Power Stone, just one blow is enough to destroy the entire blockade.
"My lord, an unknown object is approaching quickly! Do you want to intercept it?"
His subordinates rushed over to report to him suddenly.
"Oh?" Ronan turned his head and looked at a spot of light that was getting bigger and bigger not far away. It seemed to be a person?
For some reason, Ronan seemed to have aroused bad memories, and he immediately ordered: "Shoot him down."
A large number of ground-bombing fighters turned to face Thor.
"Hey, the lets make you relive the past!" Thor sneered in the air and roared loudly at the oncoming fighter plane.
"Boom——" The sky suddenly changed color, dark clouds densely covered, and countless thick thunderbolts fell from the sky.
"Bang bang bang..." Ronan's fighter planes couldn't bear the power of the thunder, and the planes turned into charred wrecks and fell down.
"Oh, my God!" In a Ravager fighter plane below, Star-Lord stared at this shocking scene dumbfounded.
"I told you, this is a real man." Drax muttered to himself.
Rocket thought of something and yelled at the Xandar defense fleet in the air: "Captain Thrall, let your fighters disperse immediately! Don't be accidentally injured!"
Flight officer Thrall came to his senses, saw Thor rushing towards them, and decisively ordered: "Spread out, go down and harvest the remaining enemies!"
Then he shook his head and complained: "Oh, I actually want to listen to a squirrel's command..."
"Master, the other party seems to be coming towards our main ship!"
Xandar's defense fighters dispersed, but bigger troubles were coming...
"I know!" Ronan said with a sullen face... The other party deliberately imitated the terrifying woman twenty years ago, just to increase his psychological shadow area.
"Bastard! I have mastered the power of the Power Stone now, I am the most powerful person in the galaxy!"
Ronan roared and raised his hammer, a purple ray shot in Thor's direction.
"Heh, do you think I'm that tough woman?"
Thor smiled dismissively. The Power Stone ray released by Ronan's ability would hardly hurt him even if it hit him head-on, but he still turned sideways to avoid the ray, and then hit Ronan's dilated pupil.
"Boom—"
The hard deck of the huge battleship quickly shattered like paper in front of Thor.
The people on the ground only saw a stream of light passing by. Ronan's battleship had a big hole dug out, and before it penetrated completely, it fell to the ground with black smoke.
The huge spaceship crashed into a park in the suburbs, making huge explosions, and the crowd had been evacuated long ago, which did not cause too many casualties.
---
Chapter 160: Castle In The Sky
"Um, are you dead?"
The remnants of Ronan's troops were almost dead, and the Guardians of the Galaxy descended to look at the ruins of the explosion with the surrounding Xandarians.
Drax asked, dumbfounded.
"Thor will not die!" Nebula retorted.
"I know, I'm talking about Ronan..."
Star-Lord analyzed: "He's probably dead. Such a big explosion, even Ronan..."
Before he finished speaking, he slapped himself hard, and a tall figure slowly walked out of the ruins. The Power Stone on the hammer in his hand exuded a faint light.
At the critical moment, Ronan used the power of the stone to protect himself, while his men were wiped out.
"This is too bad, Ronan is not dead. He even reached the ground!"
Gamora couldn't care less about scolding Star-Lord's crow's mouth. She looked anxious and confused at the same time. Ronan is fine, but where is Thor?
In a bathroom on Xandar, a golden portal opened, and Thor rushed out, coughing desperately into the sink.
"Ahem..." All kinds of bits and pieces and screws spit out from his mouth. Then he took a mouthful of water and sprayed it out. The water was full of black engine oil...
Bumping your head into a spaceship is really not something ordinary people can do. He had forcefully swallowed a mouthful of broken iron, as if he had stuck his head into a sandpit...
This kind of thing, probably only a sturdy woman like Carol can enjoy it!
Thor subconsciously ignored that Carol was covered with energy, while he was purely relying on physical defense...
In the future, we should leave it to Captain Marvel to demolish the house, anyway!
"Ah--" Outside Sokovia, Carol suddenly sneezed.
"What's going on?" She was a little puzzled. Just now, she suddenly felt a chill behind her back, with a feeling of "someone always wants to harm me..."
"Carol, what's the matter with you?" asked Jane Foster.
"It's nothing. We need to act fast. Ultron is a lunatic who wants to raise half of the city. We must evacuate the people before he starts!"
In fact, the evacuation had already begun.
Quicksilver was the first to rush into a police station, yelling: "We are under attack! The whole city is being evacuated, hurry up!"
But no one believed him.
The next moment, he turned back, held an AK-47, and started shooting.
"Da da da..." The moment the gunshot sounded, everyone chose to believe him.
After all, Sokovia is not a peaceful area. Warlords scuffle and terrorist attacks happen from time to time. Once a war breaks out, all the police can do is to lead the people to flee...
On the other side, Wanda used Chaos energy to control a large number of people to leave. The red spiritual power enveloped several blocks, and people left quietly.
Yet Ultron simply wouldn't give them enough time.
On the other hand, Vision approached Ultron and finally tried to convince him. The result was obvious: the talk collapsed. Using the power of the Mind Stone, Vision successfully kicked Ultron off the Internet.
But it was too late; Ultron had launched the meteorite project.
Accompanied by a deafening bang, the ground began to tear apart, and a bottomless crack spread, encircling most of the city.
The next moment, the ground collapsed, and the surrounding urban area, together with the earth, rose slowly into the sky.
High in the sky, Ultron's emotionless voice sounded:
"See? What a beautiful view. Rising, then falling, it is destined to happen. And you Avengers will be with my meteorite, and when you fall to the ground, the earth will collapse."
"It's meaningless to remove me from my world and use my body to fight against me. When all the dust settles, the only thing left will be metal!"
To stop all this, the rising city must be destroyed, and the people must be evacuated first. Countless steel soldiers rushed forward to attack the Avengers and hinder them.
"No, how can I let this happen!"
Seeing her homeland from childhood become like this, Wanda's eyes flashed red, and her spirit showed signs of losing control. She screamed angrily, and the red energy spread rapidly. The steel soldiers within a few miles were instantly reduced to powder.
Carol, who was not far away, was stunned.
"What a terrible ability! Unfortunately, it's too unstable!"
Several huge spaceships appeared from the sky and approached Sokovia high in the sky to assist in evacuating the people. It was the fleet of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the command room, Nick Fury was now on the sidelines, and Peggy Carter was the main conductor. While commanding the fleet to land, she muttered to herself: "Honey, you're not here, I can't mess things up!"
---
Chapter 161: The Death of Ronan
At the same time, Xandar was also in crisis.
Ronan walked out of the ruins of the spaceship slowly.
"Traitor!"
He saw Minerva for the first time, recognized her identity, and immediately roared furiously: "You actually abandoned the noble complexion of the technological aristocrat!"
The most noble skin color of the Kree is blue. Minerva, who was still in the Star Troopers, had blue skin, but now she is the same as the people on Earth. Although it's unclear how it happened, it's obvious that she no longer belongs to the Kree.
Minerva trembled all over, immediately calmed down, and gritted her teeth: "I'm from Asgard now!"
She raised her sniper rifle and shot at Ronan, showing her loyalty.
Star-Lord and others rushed forward and besieged Ronan.
However, Ronan was at the pinnacle of his life now. Not to mention them, even Thanos would struggle against him. A purple light flashed past, and everyone backed away and fell to the ground.
Scanning around and finding that Thor was not there, Ronan was relieved, and he gave a loud speech:
"Look! These are your Guardians of the Galaxy! Nothing but chaos! Fortunately, my father and my grandfather brewed this revenge!"
"People of Xandar, it's time to rejoice. Abandon your humble and ignorant god. Your savior has come, and that is—me!"
He raised his warhammer high, and the Power Stone began to vibrate.
"Oh Mommy Mommy Coax! Mommy Mommy Coax—々~"
A ghostly animal singing sounded, instantly attracting his attention.
He turned his head and looked at Star-Lord dancing beside him.
Not only him, but Gamora, Drax, and the Xandarians all looked over, with eyes of caring for the mentally retarded.
"Oppa Gangnam Style! Oppa Gangnam Style!"
At this moment, Star-Lord had completely let himself go.
"What are you doing?" Ronan asked in a daze.
"Dancing! Come, come, Gamora, together?" Star-Lord took the opportunity to invite Gamora.
Gamora shook her head in a daze, she said she still wanted save her reputation.
Nebula complained from the side: "You are really a fool!"
Minerva seconded: "Exactly!"
The invitation was rejected, and Star-Lord didn't care, and continued his awkward dance.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Ronan asked loudly.
"Distracting you, idiot!"
"Boom——" There was an explosion, Drax held up the launcher, and a quantum cannon blasted up.
A purple light flashed, and a desperate scene happened. The hammer in Ronan's hand was unscathed.
"Damn it! I should have assembled the launcher myself!" Rocket suddenly reacted, beating his chest and feet.
He had forgotten that the hammer with the Power Stone couldn't be crushed by ordinary cannon pieces!
"I'll fight with you!" Desperate, Drax raised his dagger and rushed forward, but was grabbed by the neck.
A cruel smile appeared on the corner of Ronan's mouth: "I was wrong. I remembered your family! Their screams at that time are really unforgettable!"
"And you, will go to accompany them soon!"
With a wave of his hand, Drax was thrown away like garbage.
"Struggling is useless! Resign yourself to your fate!"
He raised the hammer again.
"Hey, I'm also attracting your attention!" Drax had a weird smile on his face.
"Boom——" A thunderbolt with a thickness of tens of meters suddenly appeared from the sky, as if dividing the sky into two halves.
The thick lightning condensed and shrank to the thickness of an arm, and before everyone could react, it struck Ronan's hammer.
"Kacha——" The artifact that had been with him for countless years finally couldn't bear the force and shattered.
"No!" Ronan screamed, and he quickly grabbed the gem in midair.
The next moment, a huge force came from his chest, his whole body was paralyzed by the electric shock, and he was blown into the air.
Thor appeared in front of him, stretched out his hand to the Power Stone, and grabbed it suddenly.
"Boom..." A huge energy burst out, and purple light enveloped the whole world.
However, in the next moment, the light disappeared, and the Power Stone lay quietly in Thor's palm, no longer restless.
"No, it's impossible!"
Seeing Thor control the Power Stone so easily, Ronan's face was full of disbelief.
"Nothing is impossible." Holding the Power Stone and feeling the surging power, Thor was fascinated by this power to control everything.
"Then try your power." The fist with purple light hit Ronan, and the energy rays enveloped him.
"No—" Facing the energy of the gem, Ronan couldn't resist it for half a second and instantly turned into ashes.
Since then, Ronan the Accuser, who had committed many crimes in the galaxy, finally died on Xandar, the planet of his old enemy.
---
Chapter 162: Falling
"Drip, congratulations to the host for completing the Drax-related mission: Revenge. Get the reward: active skill—Brain Damage!"
"Brain Damage Technique: Reduces the target's IQ by 90% and lasts for ten minutes."
When the system's notification sound came, Thor looked around and focused on Star-Lord.
"Use the skill on Star-Lord—Brain Damage!"
The next moment, Star-Lord suddenly shouted excitedly: "It's great, Ronan is dead! Let's celebrate, ahhhh!"
He said this as he jumped onto a nearby tree like Tarzan.
The faces of everyone present were covered with embarrassment.
Yondu left with the Ravagers, taking the Power Orb that Star-Lord gave him without asking any questions. With his wisdom, it was impossible for him not to know that there were no gems in it.
"Please allow me, on behalf of the Nova Corps, to extend our highest respect and heartfelt thanks to you for saving the planet Xandar!" The secretary-general of Xandar led the crowd and sincerely thanked Thor for his help.
Of course, the Guardians of the Galaxy were also included.
"Your strength is beyond imagination, and you can actually resist the damage caused by the Infinity Stone. I believe that putting the Power Orb in your hand can guarantee its safety!"
The true identity of the Power Orb had been exposed, and it would be a disaster for the Power Stone to stay on Xandar, as many people would covet it. Since Thor could control its power, giving it to Thor was the best choice.
"Your wife and daughter can rest in peace. Ronan has paid for his crimes." Walking out of the conference room on Xandar, Gamora said to Drax.
Drax was silent for a while, then whispered, "Ronan was just a puppet. The real culprit is Thanos."
Thor, who was walking in front, suddenly turned around and said to Groot, "Stormbreaker is necessary to kill Thanos. Ronan is dead, and I am going back to forge weapon. Can you help?"
"I am Groot."
"Thanks! Do you want to witness the birth of the weapon that will kill Thanos?"
"Definitely yes. But I'd rather witness the killing of Thanos!"
"There will be a chance."
"Drip, Ronan is dead, and Groot has avoided his original fate. Congratulations to the host for completing the task related to Groot: King of the Wood Element. You will be rewarded for completing the task!"
"Mission reward: The only person who is qualified for the artifact, the weapon made by Groot will only be recognized by one person!"
In Nidavellir, a spaceship landed, followed by Star-Lord's smaller spaceship.
"Boy, are you here? Why, have you found the material for forging the battle axe? No, this is..."
Dwarf King Eitri stepped forward to say hello. When he saw Groot, his face changed.
"The Flora Colossus Clan! Oh my god, I didn't expect that there are still survivors in this clan!"
Then he slapped Thor hard on the shoulder: "Boy, you are lucky! Legend has it that the Flora Colossus family are descendants of the World Tree, and the weapons forged from their limbs will greatly increase their power!"
Thor nodded: "In that case, let's start!"
In this life, Nidavellir's facilities were not destroyed, and he didn't have to pull the switch himself, so he could witness the birth of Stormbreaker.
The complex machinery began to operate, the energy of the neutron star ignited the forge, and the prototype of a battle axe slowly appeared.
…
On Earth, the broken Ultron finally met his end. He fell to the ground and couldn't get up. The Iron Legion was gone, with Carol, Jane Foster, and Vision surrounding him.
It is worth mentioning that, due to Thor's reminder, Stark equipped Quicksilver with high-tech body armor, so he was still alive and kicking.
Ultron whispered: "Do you think you have won? No, this is just the beginning!"
A brilliant golden radiance lit up above Vision's head, marking the end of the battle.
However, at the same time, the last robot, programmed early in the morning, initiated the final step of Project Meteor as Ultron died.
"Boom—"
The whole city trembled in the air, and then fell towards the ground...
With violent air friction, flames quickly burst out from the bottom of the city.
"No! I've tried everything, but I can't stop the city from falling, and I can't destroy it!" Stark's anxious voice came.
This version of Ultron moved slower but more cautiously than in the original timeline...
In the far east, on Kamar-Taj Square, the Ancient One's eyes seemed to look at the fallen city through thousands of mountains and rivers.
---
Chapter 163: The Power of the Divine Axe
As an Asgardian, Thor has witnessed the rise and fall of human society for thousands of years, and usually disdains meddling in mortal affairs. Even during the Battle of New York, the Ancient One only maintained the sanctity of the sanctums from being destroyed.
Matters like Ultron, which humans have created themselves, are generally not a concern for him. However, the situation this time is different. The fall from Sokovia's altitude is almost equivalent to a small planet. Even if it doesn't destroy humanity, it is very likely to bring the Earth into an ice age.
The principle of the Sorcerer Supreme has a premise that the continuation of human civilization must be guaranteed. Because of this, Thor felt confident enough to go to the universe.
The Ancient One stared closely into the distance, ready to act at any moment.
"Wanda, can you try to lift the city with your powers?" Quicksilver asked, despite feeling hopeless.
"No, I don't have enough strength. I can only hold up a building at most," Wanda replied, shaking her head, pale with exhaustion.
Stark suddenly had an idea: "Then what about Ms. Carol? It's said that you're stronger than Thor. Can you lift the city?"
Carol rolled her eyes. "You're dreaming. That's impossible."
"So, is there a way to blow the city apart? Nukes?" Steve asked.
With the evacuation of the people, blowing up Sokovia with a nuclear bomb seemed to be the only solution.
Stark shook his head helplessly. "It's too late. The nearest intercontinental missile takes three minutes to reach, but with Sokovia's falling speed, it will hit the ground in two minutes at most! Moreover, ordinary nuclear bombs might not achieve complete destruction. You'd need the legendary Tsar Bomb, the one whose power hasn't been halved!"
The Avengers were silent.
Back then, the Soviets created a huge news event by making a 100-megaton super hydrogen bomb. However, the Soviet leadership worried that the nuclear fallout would have a serious impact on the environment, leading to internal and diplomatic turmoil. So, they halved the nuclear bomb's power to 50 megatons. Even then, it still increased nuclear radiation worldwide.
If a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb were detonated in the air, the entire Earth would become a war zone...
"Wait! I got a communication from Thor!" Carol suddenly yelled, and everyone's eyes lit up. After getting along for a long time, they already had an inexplicable trust in Thor, as if any problem that couldn't be solved could be fixed in his hands.
Carol, who is good at solving everything violently, doesn't usually have this level of faith.
"What did he say?" Steve asked.
"He told us to leave Sokovia quickly, at least one kilometer away."
Steve and Stark looked at each other and nodded.
"There's nothing we can do here, so let's trust him."
Except for Carol and others who could fly, everyone boarded the fighter plane and flew away from Sokovia.
"Can Thor really handle such a big city?" Stark muttered.
After all, Ultron was his creation, and he felt responsible for any irreparable disaster it might cause.
The massive city in the sky was already less than 10,000 meters above the ground, and the constant acceleration and violent friction with the air turned it into a huge fireball.
People hundreds of kilometers around saw this shocking scene, as if another sun had appeared in the sky and was falling towards the Earth. Many people were already running and crying in despair; some even hid in cellars.
The Ancient One, far away in Kamar-Taj, sighed and prepared to make a move.
At that moment, a stream of light flashed across the sky, stopping the Ancient One who had just taken a step.
A beam of immense light, as if descending from the other end of the universe, quickly enveloped the city in midair.
"This is the Bifrost!" Jane and Wanda exclaimed upon witnessing the scene.
Under the shroud of light, the massive Sokovia rapidly disintegrated, and the materials mixed with Vibranium inside the city vaporized in the air.
"So it can be used like this? I always thought it was just an interstellar express," Carol said, full of wonder. Even though she had wandered the universe for twenty years and seen many miraculous phenomena, this scene still amazed her.
"Boom——"
Sokovia, the city Ultron placed high hopes on, was completely obliterated in less than ten seconds under the power of the Bifrost, turning into the most primitive particles in the universe.
Thor had intentionally held back some of his strength to avoid hitting the Earth directly.
The Bifrost light slowly dissipated, and Thor's figure holding a battle axe in the sky appeared in everyone's eyes, like a god descending to Earth.
Carol stared at the battle axe in Thor's hand and muttered, "This, is the weapon that can kill Thanos?"
---
Chapter 164: A New Base
At the moment Nidavellir, Stormbreaker was born, Thor felt a sense of blood connection.
The moment he held the axe, he felt that he was the only recognized master of Stormbreaker, and no one could lift it except himself.
Even Groot, who contributed the handle of the axe.
When the artifact was ready to return to Earth, although Rocket was very interested in seeing what Star-Lord's hometown was like, Star-Lord refused, and he was not ready to go home.
The Guardians of the Galaxy eventually left, and Thor returned to Earth with Nebula and Minerva.
Facing the falling Sokovia, although he has the Power Gem in his hand, Thor wanted to try the power of Stormbreaker. The result was very satisfactory.
In a mountain forest, Thor and others from the Avengers landed slowly.
"Come out, I know you're still there." Vision shouted towards the cliff.
A robot with a broken body and a broken arm climbed up the cliff.
Ultron's body was already dead. This was a consciousness that was separated in advance. He wanted to see his ideals come true with his own eyes, but now everything was over.
Vision whispered, "Let me say goodbye to Ultron."
Stark sighed, nodded, and waved the crowd away.
Vision sighed, "Ultron, you're scared."
Ultron sneered, "Afraid of you? Or of that Thor?"
"Afraid of death. You are the last."
"Stark wanted to create a savior, but he didn't expect to create a lackey!"
Vision sighed, "I think we've all let people down. Humans are strange. They think order and chaos are opposites, but they like to try to manipulate things beyond the scope of their abilities. But even if they fail, they don't There's a . . . elegance in the slightest, and I think you're missing that."
Ultron didn't want to talk to him anymore and said coldly, "Human beings are doomed after all."
"Yes," Vision replied, "But things are not beautiful because they last. I am honored to be a part of them."
"You are hopelessly childish!"
"Ah..." Vision frowned, nodded, and said, "After all, I was born yesterday."
I'm still a child, what's wrong with being naive?
Ultron rushed forward angrily.
A burst of golden light flashed.
Upstate New York, all gathered at the all-new Avengers Base.
"Hey, I've been wondering who is building this place, so it's your land!"
Steve patted Thor on the shoulder: "You have long anticipated the expansion of the Avengers, are you ready?"
Stark joked, "Such a big place was built so quickly, and a lot of manpower and material resources were used. I heard that the mayor arranged a lot of convenience. Thor, when did you get involved with the mayor of New York? Didn't you hate politicians the most?"
Thor smiled and said nothing. Who would have thought that Kingpin would become the mayor of New York after not seeing him for a few years?
Well, I have to say, the energy of this guy is really strong. If this is a world without super-abilities, a character like Kingpin is a proper kingpin!
Vision suddenly asked, "Thor, nice to meet you. I heard that this time, you brought back an Infinity Gem?"
Glancing at Vision with Mind stone, and showed a deep purple gem.
"The Power Gem means infinite physical power. If you use its power to attack the ground, you can even destroy a planet."
Stark suddenly said solemnly, "Have you noticed something is wrong? Each of the Infinity Gems is the most powerful object in the universe. It stands to reason that they can be encountered but not sought after. But in the past few years, there have been four elements: Space, Mind, Reality, and Power. A gem appeared on Earth. Don't you think there is something wrong? It always feels like there is a manipulator behind the scenes promoting all this."
Thor corrected, "Five to be exact. The Time Gem has always been on Earth, kept by the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One."
"As for the man behind the scenes you mentioned, it's my target for forging this battle axe, Thanos, the World Destroyer."
Stark nodded, "Are you sure?"
"You can let me try."
"!"
The Ultron crisis was lifted, and superheroes entered a long-lost rest period.
Carol realized the importance of sparring, so she came to Thor every two days to train. After all, this guy often can't hold back his strength, and ordinary people are too easily injured during sparring.
Without the use of weapons, the two are hard to tell. Carol's strength is greater, while Thor's skills are stronger. The same thing is that neither side can break the other's defense.
Whenever entering the sparring game, Thor will call out his invincible Stormbreaker, and Captain Marvel will immediately retreat without a fight.
"You're wielding a deadly axe. If you knock it, you'll die. If you touch it, you'll hurt. I may be tough, but I'm not stupid!"
---
Chapter 165: I, Hulk, Will Never Accept The Offer!
Carol stayed for a few days before leaving.
There are many things in the universe, and she had been away for a long time this time. She returned to the post of the universe police once again. If it weren't for the Ultron crisis, she would have been gone long ago.
Thor gave himself a period of vacation. During this time, he lived a very comfortable life. He watched a group of heroines in the manor every day, during the day, and at night...
"Hey, Dr. Palmer, how are you doing? Are you still used to living here?" Thor stopped Christine Palmer.
Christine blushed and gave him a knowing look: "I should have thought of it a long time ago, you had ulterior motives, and fooling me into your manor was just the first step!"
"Really? Who said that?"
"Sister Maya Hansen said that she was deceived by you in that way."
Thor was a little embarrassed.
Fortunately, he had a thick skin and changed the subject without changing his expression: "Is there any problem? There are so many people in the family, it's normal to need a family doctor."
Before Christine could answer, Thor's communicator rang.
Minerva, who is in charge of the manor's security, sent a message: "Mr. Stark sent an invitation card. His Highness was not invited to the party last time. This time he defeated Ultron. Let's celebrate!"
Thor nodded and said: "Good idea, but let's have it in the new Avengers Building."
"Cheers!"
At the party, the Avengers indulged in a carnival. The tension during this period made them want to release a long time ago. Even Wanda, who usually doesn't drink, had a glass, leaning against Thor with flushed cheeks.
At the bar, Natalie was sharing drinks with Stark.
But Stark obviously lost. When he saw Natalie drink a glass of Vodka, Stark finally remembered: This beauty in front of him is an authentic Russian! Except for Thor from Asgard, no one present could outdrink her.
"Hey, cheer up, why are you so unhappy?"
Thor patted Bruce Banner on the shoulder in the corner.
Banner looked up at him but said nothing.
"What's wrong?"
After repeated questioning, Banner finally said: "It's nothing, I just feel a little out of place."
Thor glanced around. Stark had staggered away from Black Widow's persuasion and went to talk to a model alone.
Seeing herself looking over, Natalia winked at her.
Hawkeye was on a video call with his baby girl.
Captain America has lived for so many years, and he has already seen through the world...
As for Quicksilver and Vision...he's a kid!
Thor's eyes lit up: "Oh, I see, you want to find a partner?"
Immediately, he thought of something, teasingly said: "Aren't you afraid that Hulk will come out suddenly?"
Banner was a little embarrassed at once, and said in a low voice: "Hulk is much more controllable now. He will notify me in advance if he is going to come out, and he won't change suddenly just because his heart beats faster."
"Oh?" Thor was stunned for a moment, and looked again.
The direction of this life seemed to have changed a bit. The relationship between Banner and Hulk was better than in the original timeline, and the tacit understanding between the two was also much higher. At least they could already be like partners.
Equal exchange.
Thor rolled his eyes, glanced at Stark, and said with a smirk to Banner: "I said it earlier, you can go to Stark to arrange it for you. He knows a lot of models!"
"Huh? What's the matter? Why did you mention me suddenly?"
Stark walked up curiously and attracted the attention of others.
"Oh, there's nothing, just finding someone for Banner."
Thor explained roughly.
This time, not only Stark, but also Steve became interested...
Banner blushed. He definitely knew that Stark knew a lot of models, but he knew more about how Stark met them!
No matter how you say it, Banner is also a great scientist, he is very proud! Let him take over that playboy's game, let's dream!
"Eh..." Thor looked at his weird expression and said with some doubts: "What kind of expression do you have? Didn't you say that Europe and the United States don't have such traditional values these days?"
Could it be that Banner, this old introvert, is still a traditional person? It's so fresh!
I don't mind taking the offer, I just mind taking the offer from Stark! An acquaintance who meets twice in three days, and meets a person of the same kind, where should I put my face?
Bruce Banner yelled frantically in his heart.
But saying this, Stark's face didn't look good.
He rolled his eyeballs and suddenly his whole body trembled like an epileptic, and his face also turned green.
Then he returned to his original state and said with a straight face: "It's not my problem, it's Hulk who said he didn't want to take over!"
"Cut...."
Everyone booed.
Find an excuse and find a better one. Who doesn't know how old a baby Hulk is, what a joke!
---
Chapter 166: Cosmic Power Gambia?
Thor was in a good mood now, so he was happy to play the role of matchmaker to help Banner solve the next major life issue.
He couldn't help suggesting: "No problem, I have traveled around the world a lot, and I know a lot of people. Maybe I can help you find someone appropriate. Come on, let me know your requirements first."
Stark and Hawkeye also chimed in: "Good idea, let's talk about it, and we'll help you keep an eye out!"
Natalia and other ladies quietly stayed away from the guys.
Banner scratched his head in embarrassment but couldn't resist their enthusiasm, so he said helplessly: "First of all, I am a scientific researcher, and I hope the other party can support me in doing various boring research."
Everyone nodded. Scientists are generally difficult to find partners because they usually have no family and are not good at socializing... Stark was an exception, the guy was a genius.
"Then, you also know that as Avengers, we are always facing various dangers. Therefore, my other half must be able to accept this, at least not be afraid of superpowers."
"Then what?" Quicksilver also came up and took notes.
"Finally, superhero family members are often in danger, so it's best to have the ability to respond to danger."
Banner had thought a lot about it.
Hawkeye was thoughtful; he felt that he really needed to strengthen the security of his family.
Stark couldn't help complaining: "I think you might as well wait for the next female Avenger to show up..."
He glanced at the hall with a depressed expression on his face. All the women in the Avengers were taken by Thor. There might be a Captain Marvel, but few people could handle that woman...
He suddenly had a flash of inspiration. There might not be such a person on Earth, but the universe, like Asgard, had strong women too.
"So do you have any racial requirements?" he asked.
Banner obviously misunderstood his intentions and said with a nostalgic face: "No, I once got along with a beautiful black girl in Brazil, and I saved her from the local gangsters... It's a pity that I couldn't control my transformation, so I had to bear the pain and give up..."
Thor quickly interrupted his memory: "I have someone in mind..."
"First of all, the other party will definitely support your scientific research work because she is originally a great scientist."
"Then, your identity will not be a problem because she has been in contact with superheroes."
"Well, she is also very rich, incredibly rich..."
Thor smirked and kept a secret.
"Um..." Banner was confused. "Are you sure you don't mean Stark?"
"Get out, I'm a pure man!"
Then Thor added: "And this girl is good at making exoskeleton armor..."
At this moment, Stark finally couldn't sit still and yelled: "Are you sure you're not talking about me?"
With a thoughtful look on his face, Steve reminded Stark: "Tony, I knew your father. He was as good at playing around as you when he was young. Could it be one of your sisters outside?"
Stark calmed down, thoughtful. After all, he had an IQ of 250 and quickly thought of the key point: "You guided me on purpose, right? That means the other party must not be what Steve said, right?"
Thor applauded: "I didn't say anything, it's all your guesswork."
Everyone had exasperated expressions—wasn't Thor deliberately misleading?
"But, if there is such a person, why have we never heard of her?" Natalia asked suspiciously. She used to be a top-level agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and had long been committed to finding superheroes. With so many obvious features, there should at least be some traces, right?
Thor smiled and shook his head: "Kamar-Taj's Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, is also not known to many people, but it doesn't mean she isn't powerful. Even if I face her now, I wouldn't win. Strength without fame means the other party has the ability to cover up their traces."
Then he pointed at Steve's shield: "Remember the shield material?"
"Vibranium." Steve definitely wouldn't forget: "The most precious metal in the world."
"What if all the Vibranium in the world comes from one country, and there is a Vibranium mine as big as a mountain in someone's home?"
In everyone's astonishment, with a swipe of his hand, a world map appeared on the screen in front of them.
Thor pointed to somewhere in Africa: "This place is truly the most advanced country on Earth, and its technological level has even reached the peak of the universe. If the portal of the New York War appeared there, they would be able to solve it even without a superpower."
"Um, could it be that you are talking about the cosmic power Gambia?!" Stark looked strange.
---
Chapter 167: Hulk's Spring
This is a meme on the Internet. Gambia, a powerful country in the universe, claims to eliminate Russia in seven days and level China in ten days. It once shot down the embassy of the United States with a machine gun and can be called the world's number one troublemaker.
Compared with the mouth-powerful king like Gambia, Africa still has a real superpower.
"Wakanda, one of the least developed countries in the eyes of ordinary people. For centuries, it has been isolated from the world, ostensibly a poor and backward agricultural country. In fact, this is the most technologically advanced country on Earth, with faith in Bast, the panther goddess."
"The supreme leader of Wakanda is the king, and the successive rulers are called Black Panther. Unlike some other African countries, the people of Wakanda are relatively civilized and not so barbaric. If Wakanda were not so isolated, the people of Wakanda would be friends with everyone in the world."
Thor's words sounded like a story to others, too mysterious to believe.
Stark muttered, "So the Vibranium used by Ultron was bought from Wakanda?"
"Strictly speaking, it wasn't bought. It can only be regarded as smuggling because, under normal circumstances, Wakanda is very strict about the circulation of Vibranium and only trades when necessary. This is a country that pursues isolationism, so it remains unknown."
Speaking of this, Thor smiled mysteriously: "Wakanda's little princess Shuri is a great scientist, and she designed many advanced technologies, including the latest Black Panther suit."
As Thor spoke, he swiped his hand, and an image of a young black girl appeared on the screen.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Banner was immediately attracted...
Thor snickered secretly. It seemed like a good idea to let Banner make a sacrifice and pull Wakanda into the Avengers alliance's fold early?
And it's not even a sacrifice. Banner seems to have a special affection for black women, just like the one in Brazil, and he had a particularly good relationship with the female Valkyrie on Sakaar.
In the middle of the night, in a jungle somewhere in Africa, mercenaries attacked a convoy. It was said that there was a piece of extremely precious metal in the convoy.
As the ultimate example of pretending to be weak, Wakanda appears to be just a third-world country. The convoy's weapons were all the most common AK series, the weapons of the poor. Facing the prepared mercenaries, the firepower was directly suppressed.
"Damn it!" In the middle of the convoy, Princess Shuri cursed secretly, considering whether to take out her energy hand cannon. But if she did, it might expose Wakanda's secrets.
At this moment, a loud roar sounded, and a burly figure rushed forward through the bullets, raised a car with one hand, and swept across the panic-stricken mercenaries, knocking them out with one blow.
Although the mercenaries were all desperadoes, they ran away screaming before they reached the Hulk.
"Hulk, smash!"
Hulk raised the military Humvee high in his hand and slammed it onto the ground.
The ground shook suddenly, and huge cracks extended forward.
Several mercenaries fell immediately, and the few remaining were also knocked out.
The shockwave spread, and Hulk chased down and wiped out the remaining mercenaries one by one.
While Bruce Banner is a good man, his compassion doesn't extend to such desperadoes, let alone Hulk's mindset right now.
"Hulk! It's Hulk!" the Wakandans yelled in excitement.
Unlike Westerners who claim to be gentlemen, Wakandans admired Hulk, a Beast superhero, who always revered power and glory.
Among the Avengers, Hulk is the most popular in Wakanda, and Thor almost means as much.
Despite advanced technology, Wakandans still worship the most powerful warriors in hand-to-hand combat. Including the king's position, all must be decided through combat, and the winner is eligible to inherit the power of Black Panther.
Princess Shuri ran up and shouted excitedly: "My God, Hulk! I saw Hulk!"
Hulk, startled, immediately reverted to Banner...
Seeing this, Shuri remembered the difference between Hulk and Banner, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
When fighting is needed, he's stronger than her brother T'Challa, and when not fighting, he's a great scientist, more knowledgeable than herself...
Entering the laboratory and going to the battlefield, this combination of strength and wisdom is simply... perfect!
Banner was frightened by Shuri, who looked at him like a fan. He calmed down and looked at the black pearl seriously.
Well, the real person is much prettier than the photos, with a cute appearance and a kind heart, completely different from the supermodels that often appear at Stark's parties!
At this moment, he felt that his spring had come.
A romantic hero saves the beauty, and the relationship between Banner and Shuri heats up quickly...
---
Chapter 168: The Hive
In a ruined base, a man and a woman were confronting each other.
"Give up, you can't resist. You people, you were born to serve me!" The man looked at the woman in front of him with a strange expression.
Without saying a word, the woman tried her best to resist the parasite erosion from the being that once was Ward... No, it was the Hive.
Her body was covered with a faint layer of golden divine power, which had been imparted by Thor casually. It seemed useless on normal days, but this time it played a great role.
Skye, now she should be called Quake, Daisy Johnson!
After discovering her true heritage, she realized she was a legendary Inhuman and possessed the super-ability she had always dreamed of.
But now, she was in the greatest crisis of her life.
Hive, the world's first Inhuman, could project parasites to compel all Inhumans to surrender, making them willing to serve him. This compulsion was absolute; there was no possibility of betrayal or being awakened by others.
As the first-generation leader of the Inhumans, he never fought alone.
If he controlled Skye and let her return to S.H.I.E.L.D., it would be of great use!
At the critical moment, Skye took out a communicator and decisively pressed the button.
Hive noticed this movement and smiled disdainfully: "Don't count on it. No one will come to rescue you. Even if your companions arrive, they will just add a few more skilled warriors to my ranks."
"Oh, is that so?"
A cold voice came from behind.
"Who?" Hive was startled and quickly turned to see a blond man in a red cloak and silver armor standing behind him.
"Thor! Help!" Skye shouted excitedly.
Different from the wild hacker who grew up in an orphanage and wandered since childhood in the original timeline, she was adopted by Peggy Carter early in this life. Her personality was a little less mature and more naive.
"Bang—" Without a word, Thor punched, and Hive didn't even have time to resist as his head was smashed by the blow.
"Wow! So handsome!" Skye ran up excitedly and hugged Thor's arm.
"Are you...an Avenger? You can't kill me!"
Another corpse on the ground slowly stood up. This was another ability of Hive, possessing the corpses of others. In a sense, this was a form of immortality.
"Be careful, this guy has a lot of strange abilities!" Skye whispered in Thor's ear.
Because HYDRA would send a devotee to Hive every few decades, after several centuries, Hive had parasitized hundreds or even thousands of humans. This made Hive multilingual, proficient in fighting techniques, technology, and almost omnipotent among ordinary humans.
But after all, he was just a powerful ordinary person, which is why he could only be the boss of the S.H.I.E.L.D series.
But he couldn't control someone as strong as Thor, who punched him with a sneer.
This time, Hive blocked the blow with both arms in time.
"Crack——" The sound of bone breaking was heard, and before Hive could feel the severe pain, he was lifted high by Thor and smashed into the ground, embedding half of his body into the floor.
Naturally, his head was smashed like a watermelon again...
"Uh... If you can, let's be more civilized..." The bloody scene made Skye stick out her tongue. Although she wasn't afraid, girls naturally hate disgusting things!
"Asshole, you will regret this!"
Another corpse stood up again.
"See? You can't kill me!" Hive's ability was very strange. He could regenerate almost infinitely, just like the slogan of HYDRA --- cut off one head, two more shall take its place.
"It's really ignorant and fearless. A monster created by the Kree dares to call itself a god? Then let me show you what a real god is!"
Holding Skye in his arms, Thor jumped to a height of several hundred meters, and a massive amount of lightning descended, covering hundreds of meters around Hive.
The flesh of Hive, far superior to ordinary people, couldn't survive the lightning storm for even a second and instantly turned into a charred corpse.
The parasite quickly attached to another corpse, but in the lightning storm, it too turned to ash, and Hive was forced to withdraw just as it attached.
What made him even more desperate was that this kind of attack, which contained divine power, caused significant damage to his body.
Constantly reborn and constantly dying, Hive was reborn dozens of times in just a few minutes, his body becoming weaker and weaker...
"Ah———I'm not reconciled—"
With a roar full of despair and resentment, the god of HYDRA finally died and completely disappeared from the world.
---
Chapter 169: Undercurrent Surges
"It's dead?" Skye murmured.
The supervillain in the eyes of S.H.I.E.L.D was like a joke in front of Thor, making her feel like she was dreaming.
Thor patted her on the cheek: "What do you think? This world is much bigger than you imagined. The existence of Hive is not even a minor threat. He calls himself the god of HYDRA, but is he really a god? In two years, a real cosmic overlord will come to Earth, and that will be a true battle of the gods."
"If you can fully control your abilities, you will definitely have a place in the future battle!"
Skye nodded, this is what she had envisioned.
"You already know about my background, right? You hinted early on that I would become a superhero. Aunt Carter told me that you can see the future, is it true?"
Skye was smart.
Thor neither admitted nor denied, and said with a faint smile: "All I can see are some general directions, not accurate details about everyone and everything. Just like you, I knew you would awaken your Vibe abilities, but I can't see every detail of your journey."
Since World War II, the flow of the world had changed, and many things no longer developed as he remembered.
Just like Skye, she was originally left in the orphanage in history, and later became a hacker for the Rising Tide organization, infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D, and became an undercover agent before finally rehabilitating and joining S.H.I.E.L.D wholeheartedly.
She was a model undercover agent, achieving the highest level!
But now, she became a hacker who joined S.H.I.E.L.D because of Peggy Carter. Although the end result was similar, the difference in life trajectory was significant.
Among other things, there was a saying in the original timeline: the iron-clad Skye and her revolving boyfriends. She had her own rebellious attributes, making her more terrifying than the character from a certain online game. She was a lone star!
It's different now. Peggy Carter had been watching over her closely since she was a child. Anyone with bad intentions was dealt with swiftly. Thor, on the other hand, was now more fortunate...
Looking at Skye with his hands hanging by his sides, Thor wondered - would Peggy go berserk if she found out?
In front of the TV, news was playing about the SOKOVIA incident.
The TV station selectively played interview clips. Some people were praising the Avengers for saving the world again.
However, more dissenting voices emerged.
"We are grateful for the justice of the Avengers. But can they take care of the lives and property of innocent people? Look, they destroyed another city!"
"After causing so much damage, they just leave? What's the difference between them and those alien invaders!"
"Yesterday it was New York, today it's SOKOVIA. What about tomorrow? It takes a long time to build a city, but only a few hours for the Avengers to destroy it!"
"Is that so-called god from an alien planet really a god?"
"Stark is a hypocrite. Why doesn't he stop selling arms? The crimes he's committed are a hundred times worse than selling arms!"
Thor pressed the remote and turned off the TV.
In fact, such voices often appeared.
There were always people who were obedient in the face of a crisis, but after the crisis was over, they struck out at their own heroes...
And during this period, such news had increased significantly, even influencing public opinion worldwide. No one believed there wasn't someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.
The SOKOVIA incident, in the final analysis, was Tony's fault, and he had tried his best to make amends afterward.
Reflecting a small city with a small population and poor economy, Stark Industries could still afford to compensate, at least enough to settle every refugee.
But New York was different. Even if Stark squeezed everything out, he couldn't cover it! And it wasn't the Avengers' fault that the Battle of New York happened in New York.
But people didn't see it that way.
Among other things, housing prices in New York ranked first in the world. In the Battle of New York, countless buildings collapsed, especially in Manhattan, where billions of dollars' worth of property was destroyed in an instant.
More importantly, insurance companies did not cover losses caused by war. Moreover, many people who had bought houses with loans had just paid the down payment, and then their houses collapsed, but the money owed to the bank still had to be repaid.
The collapse of the house was due to an alien invasion. Go claim your damages from the aliens! But the money owed to the bank still had to be repaid.
The American government wasn't rich enough to cover everything, and people had to be responsible for a lot of their own financial burdens.
Even if the Washington government stepped in to deal with it, they could only temporarily waive the interest and delay the repayment time.
---
Chapter 170: Intruder, Kill!
Moreover, the people are easily incited, and causing trouble becomes a spectacle!
Perhaps in the eyes of those people, the Avengers should defend the Earth, block enemies from entering, and prevent them from endangering us. If they do get in, it's negligence!
Besides, if you're told to fight the aliens, you should fight hard and protect our industries from being affected. Since my property has been damaged, you should be responsible to the end!
The main targets are Stark and Thor. Those people are very smart—the former is the richest in the Avengers, and the latter is the leader of the team.
Although Hulk is the most destructive, everyone knows that this guy is penniless.
But now this guy isn't poor anymore; he has connections with the richest people in the world.
"No! Why is this happening!" Banner hugged his head in pain.
On the TV, news was broadcasting the devastation after the Great War in New York. Countless people were condemning the Avengers and Hulk.
"How can there be no casualties in war?" Princess Shuri comforted him beside him: "Why don't they think about it? Without your efforts, how would they have survived?"
"If you ask me, these people aren't worth saving; they might as well be alien fodder!"
The toughness of the Wakandan princess was on full display.
"Ahem..." There was a coughing sound from the door.
Young Black Panther, the next king, T'Challa, interrupted Shuri's radical remarks.
He said with a wry smile: "The responsibility cannot be entirely attributed to innocent people. Losing their life savings and facing a large amount of debt is really unbearable for ordinary people."
Shuri retorted: "But that's not a reason to target heroes! A patient's death is unbearable for the family, but does that mean they can attack the doctor?"
This metaphor left both T'Challa and Banner speechless...
T'Challa looked at Banner.
Wakanda's little princess being in love was a big deal, and T'Challa was definitely worried about her being deceived.
Over the years, they had been very cautious.
The investigation results were satisfactory. After all, Banner's fighting style after transforming into Hulk was still very popular with Wakanda's people, and he was an honest person, so T'Challa wasn't worried about him deceiving Shuri.
He actually understood Shuri's thoughts very well. It's just that, as the heir to the king, T'Challa needed to consider more things.
"Jingle Bell"
The phone rang; it was Stark.
"Have you seen the news?" A serious voice came from the phone.
"Then what are you going to do?"
"What should I do? I'll handle it my way. All I know is that Trudheim Manor is my private property, and if anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll deal with them. No one is responsible for me."
"Dude, don't do this. You'll make people hate the Avengers even more..."
"It's none of my business. Since these idiots are being manipulated, they must understand the risk of provoking me."
After speaking, he hung up the phone.
"Minerva, anyone who breaks into the manor without permission, the first shot will be a warning, and the second shot will kill them immediately. I'll handle any consequences!"
I don't care about your riots; don't mess with me!
"Yes, Your Highness!" Minerva took the order.
"Sometimes, I really want to let aliens in and kill these idiots!" Thor said to himself.
"Hahahaha, bro, am I right? Earthlings are like this; what's the use of protecting them? They're all ungrateful! How about I plan another Chitauri invasion and kill them?"
In the video chat, Loki laughed wildly. Heimdallr saw what was happening on Earth and reported it to him.
Thor glanced at it and said with a weird smile: "It's actually a good idea. You can contact Thanos and ask him to give you another army or an Infinity Stone. Oh, yes, I'm not sure if he will kill you to make a point, after all, Thanos hates me now."
Loki was at a loss for words...
"Why do they do this?"
Knowing the cause and effect, Sif's face was filled with anger, completely incomprehensible: "In our Asgard, if people are hurt by invaders, they will mourn, and they will find ways to protect their relatives and property, but they never hate their own heroes! If they don't dare to fight against foreign enemies themselves, they vent their anger on those who protect them. This is shameless betrayal!"
Thor stroked the back of her hand: "Because, this is the way of the fighting races like us! In the face of crisis, we are always the most united."
---
Chapter 171: Storm Of Public Opinion
As Thor expected, some idiots came to the door to cause trouble.
A few young people got hotheaded, clamored for compensation, ignored the warning, and rushed into the manor. Minerva shot one in the head immediately.
This time, many protesters were incited, and the voices of "severely punish the murderer" came one after another.
At a press conference, Thor took out the "Non-Concession Law" and "Castle Law" and passionately described the legality of his self-defense.
FBI agents came to investigate in various ways, which also confirmed this point.
This time, everyone retreated.
But the intensified media frenzy did not recede...
Thor didn't care.
The death of a few hotheaded individuals is nothing to the politicians. It probably means a few words of regret and three glasses of fine wine.
But Thor showed his firm attitude.
Politicians are actually not stupid; seeking justice for innocent people is just a cover. How could they really want to push the Avengers to the opposite side?
Soon they introduced new ideas.
"We cannot forcefully judge the Avengers for the damage they caused, because they were all helpless in the fight against evil. Doing so will undoubtedly chill the hearts of heroes.
"However, the means used by the Avengers in battle must be limited, otherwise it will cause a greater threat. Therefore, I think that all Avengers and even other super-abilities should be included in the management of the World Security Council!"
First, they gave a small concession to the Avengers, and then they wanted to take control.
Politicians are desperately inciting public opinion, putting pressure on the Avengers, and attempting to morally kidnap them.
At this time, another incident happened, which directly brought the conflicts of all parties to the peak.
In Nigeria, Steve finally blocked the last boss of HYDRA—Crossbones Rumlow, who was transferring a batch of biochemical weapons as a mercenary.
With the cooperation of Falcon and others, HYDRA was naturally no match. Rumlow was beaten into submission by Steve and pushed to the ground.
At the critical moment, he revealed the information of the Winter Soldier Bucky and detonated the bomb on his body while tackling Steve.
At the critical moment, Wanda activated her ability to control the explosive fireball, trying to send it high into the sky.
"Boom!" Wanda's ability was not stable enough after all, unable to suppress the power of the explosion. The fireball exploded violently when it was close to a hospital...
"Ah, no..." Wanda's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in shock.
Steve came to his senses and quickly said to the communicator: "Sam, rescue is needed in the building! Hurry up with the fire brigade and save people!"
Fortunately, Wanda's control was stronger than in the original history. When it exploded, it was close to the top of the building, and the death toll was not high.
However, casualties are one thing, and the reactions of political leaders from various countries are another. For them, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attack the Avengers.
Some of them probably even regret that dozens or hundreds of people didn't die.
For a time, the reputation of the Avengers in the major media plummeted, and the world's mainstream media severely criticized the Avengers.
"Last month, dozens of citizens were tragically injured in clashes between Avengers and mercenaries in Nigeria!"
"It is believed that such a situation occurs not only because of crime but also because of the indifference of the criminals. A victory won by sacrificing innocents is not a victory at all!"
"They are not governed by international law. If we don't respond to such actions, this will happen again! What right does a superhuman like Scarlet Witch have to act in Nigeria?"
"Why do the Avengers ignore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries and engage in cross-border law enforcement?"
As in history, the whole world is frantically putting pressure on the Avengers.
"Thor, I've got word. The Council wants the Avengers to be attached to the Council, as they were to S.H.I.E.L.D., so they're immune to damage done by the Avengers. You need to prepare early!"
Peggy Carter rushed over to inform Thor with a worried look on her face.
"Moreover, all private information is required to be released, and family members are under strict protection 24 hours a day!"
She found that she still underestimated the shamelessness of politicians, and they could figure out such a dirty way.
At the same time, she also knew that those guys had already had this idea, but now they found a chance to make trouble.
Thor couldn't help but let out a sneer.
"Most of my family is in Asgard. What will the Council do for protection? Oh, could it be that they are surrounding the nuclear bombs at Trudheim Manor? This kind of protection is really considerate.
I am afraid that in the eyes of these politicians, the nuclear bomb is the trump card!"
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Chapter 172: Sokovia Act
Sharon, who was silent on the side, suddenly said, "Actually, in the eyes of those politicians, superheroes, especially you, are like a hundred million-yield nuclear bomb. Mutual nuclear deterrence is probably the only way they can think of."
Thor nodded, probably because he was too high-profile in Sokovia?
Glancing at Peggy, he put his arm around her shoulder and asked, "What about you? What do you think?"
Peggy broke free from his hand without a trace and rolled her eyes. "Is it interesting to test me? In vain, I came here to inform you."
As she spoke, she took Thor's arm.
The meaning was obvious: advancing and retreating together.
Sharon was shown a loving face, with frustration all over her head, and she couldn't help complaining, "It's over, I'm going to lose my job at S.H.I.E.L.D. because of you two."
She was 100 percent sure that there was no way Thor would agree to the council's request.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"
At Avengers headquarters, Wanda was in tears and kept apologizing.
Steve whispered, "It was my fault. The bomb vest could have been removed quickly, but Rumlow mentioned Bucky. For a split second, I was that kid from Brooklyn again."
"We have no choice but to save as many people as possible, and sometimes we can't save everyone. But if we can't accept this, next time maybe no one will be saved."
Wanda nodded imperceptibly, still very low.
Thor came over, hugged her gently, and asked gently, "Okay, do you know where you went wrong?"
Wanda raised her head and was about to speak, but Thor's tone suddenly changed, and he said indifferently, "You should let the bomb explode in the crowd so that the people upstairs will not die because of it! HYDRA, let them do something with biological weapons! Do nothing, make no mistakes."
"Ah?!" Wanda exclaimed, then realized that Thor was speaking ironically.
She smiled wryly. "I actually understand the truth, but it's still very... Did I cause you trouble?"
Thor patted her on the back and said seriously, "It's okay, I like trouble the most..."
In the conference room, General Ross, whom he had not seen for many years, stood in front of the stage and opened a video.
First New York, Hulk rampages, passing through the buildings constantly, the places he passes are in a mess; then Washington, the Helicarrier crashes, huge amounts of tsunami sweeping tourists; Sokovia, the whole city disappears under the light of the Bifrost; finally it's Nigeria, the explosion on top of the hospital.
General Ross talked eloquently.
"Governments around the world can no longer stand the situation where you have acted arbitrarily without any supervision and restraint for the past four years."
He picked up a document and handed it to everyone. "Now, we have a solution.
Look at this document, the 'Sokovia Accords,' which was approved by 117 countries, stipulating that the Avengers are no longer private organizations but must be operated under the supervision of a United Nations team, at the discretion of that team."
"Wait!" Thor interrupted him suddenly, and sarcastically said, "You mean, when we act in the future, there will be a team of photographers behind us? That's great, we will broadcast the whole action live!"
"Your Excellency Thor, this is not funny at all!"
General Ross said with a serious face, "Many people call the Avengers heroes, but more people like to use the word vigilante...and I will use—dangerous, to describe a group of uncontrolled superpowers stationed in the United States, habitually ignoring national sovereignty boundaries, where to go, what to do, entirely on their own will, and have no concern for the consequences."
Looking around at the Avengers with different expressions, he pointed to the agreement. "Believe me, this is the best and most compromised approach. Three days later, the United Nations will hold a meeting in Vienna to approve the agreement."
Steve frowned, stood up, and asked, "What if our decision doesn't meet expectations?"
General Ross stopped walking outside and said seriously, "Then you all retire.
Otherwise, the Avengers who have not signed the agreement and entered any sovereign country that signed the agreement will be regarded as violating the sovereignty of 117 countries.
It is allowed to use any means to neutralize this Avenger."
General Ross left, and everyone's faces were heavy.
Thor suddenly laughed, "I didn't expect that our righteous actions were opposed by almost all countries. It's really tough. If only they could be so tough when facing the Chitauri."
Although he still had his iconic smile on his face, his tone was extremely cold.
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Chapter 173: Disagreement
"I thought we were Avengers. It turns out that we're being treated like criminals. The government will keep tracking us and have unlimited firepower against us! After all, the United States is also a signatory country, and we're in the United States!"
During the Insight Project incident, Sam, disappointed with the council, complained bitterly.
"However, this time, 117 countries want to sign this agreement—117! Are you not taking this seriously at all?"
War Machine Rhodes, as an active soldier, took a firm stance.
"117? So few? What a coincidence, I've destroyed more than 117 planets over the years." Thor whistled.
"We are Avengers, not Destroyers, and we can't resort to threats..."
"Listen to me."
The silent Vision said, "During the years Stark admitted he was Iron Man, the number of superhumans has increased rapidly, and so have the disasters threatening the world. This may be causally related.
Our superpowers have faced increasing challenges, and these challenges provoke conflicts, which can lead to disasters.
Therefore, regulation is something we should consider."
As a super-advanced being, Vision appeared invulnerable when he spoke, but...
"It means that if you have great power, you'll become a target instead? No wonder so many countries have voluntarily given up their nuclear weapons. They should be doing well now, right?"
Uh... Vision suddenly had nothing to say. Ukraine, Libya... it seemed that every one of them had something to do with it.
"Tony, what's your opinion? You're not usually this quiet?" Natasha asked suddenly.
"Because he's already made up his mind," Steve said flatly.
"Wow, you really know me," Stark groaned, stood up, and started a video.
In the video, there was a black youth and some profiles of him.
Stark introduced, "His name is Charles Spencer, a promising young man who could have had a bright future. He intended to do some good deeds and gain experience before graduation. He wanted to use his summer vacation to build eco-friendly houses for the poor. Guess where he went? Sokovia."
Everyone fell silent, already dreading the follow-up.
Stark continued with a heavy expression, "What exactly he was thinking, we have no way of knowing. Because while we were fighting fiercely, we accidentally threw a building on him."
"We don't have a decision-making process in place; we need regulation. I'm willing to accept it in any form. Without regulation, we will be lawless and no better than villains."
Captain America offered his opinion: "Tony, because someone died under your watch, you've decided to give up?"
"I didn't give up."
"If you don't take responsibility for your actions, you're giving up. These documents are just passing the buck."
Steve stood up and raised his voice: "In my time, the United States was a country of real freedom and democracy.
It represented the struggle of justice against evil.
But now, this country has been corrupted and is no longer free.
It's more like a lighthouse trying to dominate the world.
Well, how do you explain that?"
Thor reminded, "Dragon slayers become dragons."
The two were so engrossed in their serious discussion that Rhodey couldn't stay silent. She said loudly, "But it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., nor HYDRA, but the United Nations asking us to sign the agreement now!"
"That's human nature. If you're human, you'll have goals and selfishness.
The Insight Project is certainly a HYDRA conspiracy, but aren't the politicians trying to control time also contributing to this plan? If one day, someone really needs us to do meaningless things elsewhere?"
Thor asked Stark quietly, "Tony, you mentioned the Sokovia incident. Have you ever thought that once the agreement is signed, it won't prevent you from creating Ultron? At least 527 more applications and approvals will be needed.
But the agreement must delay us from stopping Ultron's actions!"
"But if we don't sign, they will force us to sign. That's how things work, and it will be messy..."
Natasha hesitated to speak. If Thor weren't here, she might choose a temporary compromise for the greater good. But now, she stood by Thor's side unconditionally.
Interestingly, once the bill is implemented, Stark, who has a family and a business, will be the most affected and will sacrifice the most. And Steve is completely unaffected and has the least influence.
Judging by the degree of influence, Stark is the hardest to accept the bill, while Steve is the easiest.
Yet now, these two have made the opposite choices, because their decisions are not driven by selfishness.
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Chapter 174: Signs of Split
"Well said!"
Thor suddenly applauded. "You've hit on a very critical point.
When these politicians who consider themselves above us introduced the bill, they never thought about whether we would not accept it.
They didn't consider us at all as equals but merely as entities to be controlled."
"Perhaps in their eyes, we are the weaker side, merely obligated to accept without the power to refuse. But the truth is, we are the ones who should be making decisions!"
Thor's words were intense.
"Hey, calm down..." Stark scrambled to diffuse the tension.
He whispered, "Some of our actions have indeed led to significant mistakes in the public eye. We need the bill to regain trust. Believe me, we only made a small compromise to keep some maneuvering room. If there's a complete break, then…"
"Stop, stop!" Thor interrupted Stark, suddenly realizing that the scientific genius was politically naive.
"First of all, as far as I'm concerned, the trust of the people isn't as important as dancing with Natasha. It's not that I need their trust, but that they need my protection!"
"Then, I don't care about breaking with the council! When two parties have a dispute, one party must compromise, but it will not be me! Thanos, the greatest villain of the universe, can't make me compromise—what are those politicians compared to him? If it weren't for the Sorcerer Supreme, Earth would still be under Asgardian rule.
Now, you want to position yourselves as masters and enslave me, the future King of Asgard?"
Stark was at a loss for words. He suddenly realized that Thor's points were quite reasonable. As an alien prince, how could he come to Earth just to be a pawn for others?
"The last point, I understand your meaning: first compromise and sign the agreement, then fight for more rights for us, right?"
Stark nodded; he had thought so.
"However, the reality is that the opponent will only push forward step by step and will never willingly give up the power they have gained. In other words, the places we least want to compromise are precisely what the opponent desires the most."
"And then, what will you do? Either compromise entirely or violate the agreement and face legal consequences from the other party, even if the conflict is unjust."
"I'm glad we didn't have this bill four years ago, otherwise, nukes would have gone off in New York.
Tony, what would you have done if the board had ordered you to drop a nuke and detonate it in New York? According to the bill's terms, they could have even threatened Pepper Potts to make you comply."
Stark was speechless.
The situation was clear: only Stark, Rhodes, and Vision supported signing the agreement.
There was also Black Widow in the original discussion, but she was originally a moderate. Now, with Thor's firm stance, she was also leaning toward him…
Even non-S.H.I.E.L.D personnel like Skye and Sharon sided with Thor.
Stark's face darkened.
"Alright, don't dwell on it. Stark and I will go to the signing site in Vienna and try to persuade the representatives of various countries to amend the agreement and show us the respect we deserve. Thor, will you join us?"
Stark nodded in agreement, seeing it as the best approach to address the situation. He had a premonition of the Avengers' impending split.
Thor shook his head in disbelief. He didn't like Captain America's idea. Meeting with these politicians felt like a waste of time.
Besides, as he had said, they were not qualified to demand his presence for consultations; the reverse was nearly the same.
As top Asgardians, arrogance was ingrained, but good upbringing taught them to treat everyone and every race with respect. However, when someone crosses the line, Thor thought, "Sorry, but I am a god and I look down upon you mortals as ants!"
"No, regardless of his choices, they are his own. I will not and cannot interfere with him. Don't make it difficult for me!"
Betty Ross, holding the phone, felt conflicted.
For years, General Ross rarely contacted her. Unexpectedly, the rare occasion when he reached out was to ask her to persuade Thor to support the bill.
General Ross was very aware that Thor would be the biggest obstacle, and removing him would make it easier to control others, even if they disagreed.
But Betty was unwilling to let Thor make a decision against his will on her account. She also knew that Thor was principled and would not yield on matters of principle because of a woman.
After ending the call, Betty sat on the sofa, her eyes red.
"What's wrong? Did you have a fight with your father?"
Thor's gentle voice broke the silence.
Betty Ross remained silent.
Thor hugged her gently. "This is politics, and politicians are not suitable for you. I'm sorry for involving you in this. Don't worry, your father is your father, and you are you. This has nothing to do with you."
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