In the prison at the Guantanamo Bay Marine Base, ten floors underground~
Erik sat expressionless, reading a newspaper while eating his breakfast of bread. A short while later, he heard a "clank, clank..." sound echoing from outside.
He raised his head in confusion, looking toward the hallway. He had been imprisoned here for over two months. Besides the initial rounds of gene extraction and questions, no one had visited him since.
He saw a few men in black uniforms approaching.
"Erik, we at S.H.I.E.L.D. are enlisting you on behalf of the nation. We need your strength."
At this, Erik merely shot them a cold glance, remaining silent. The idea of aiding those he once sought to destroy was laughable.
He, Magneto, leader of the Brotherhood, had his pride and would not entertain the idea of cooperating, even for freedom.
Seeing Erik's indifference, the lead S.H.I.E.L.D. agent continued, "Your daughter, Lorna, is in his hands. If you don't help, her fate will be dire."
Erik's controlled demeanor faltered, and he stood up.
"Where is she?!"
"Cairo."
........
In a beachfront villa in New York~
Tony Stark groggily awoke, detaching himself from Pepper's limbs as he got out of bed to continue his research.
Since returning to Stark Industries, he'd received ample resources, significantly advancing his study of new elements. However, numerous errors plagued the progress, leaving his results still negligible.
As he poured himself a glass of milk in the kitchen, the doorbell rang.
"Ding-dong…"
"Coming."
Opening the door, Tony found Agent Coulson waiting, "Pepper's still asleep; you can come back later."
"This time, Mr. Stark, I'm here for you."
"Oh? For what?"
Tony returned inside, continuing to drink his milk and snack on a cookie.
"The world needs your help."
Tony nearly spat out his milk. "What did you say? Me, saving the world? I'm a playboy; flirting is more my thing…"
"What flirting?" came Pepper's voice from the stairs.
She descended, dressed in white silk pajamas. Startled, Tony jumped up.
"Sweetheart, let me explain... It was just a joke..."
Pepper glanced at Coulson, then softened her expression, letting the matter go.
"Mr. Coulson, what's the purpose of this visit?"
"I need Mr. Stark's help to secure the safety of the world."
Pepper's brows furrowed as she coldly replied, "Tony's a playboy, not a hero. Ask someone else."
To her, "saving the world" seemed like nothing more than an unnecessary risk for Tony.
Coulson shook his head, pulling out a tablet and displaying confidential footage.
"At around midnight last night, every country's nuclear arsenal launched into space in a single operation, aimed at destroying these missiles. This was a coordinated disarmament effort."
Pepper cut him off. "Isn't that a good thing? It sounds like he's a savior."
Unfazed, Coulson continued, "The one responsible for this is named Apocalypse. He possesses extraordinary abilities, and last night, he abducted Professor Charles Xavier."
Hearing the name "Charles," Pepper hesitated. After all, Charles was her professor in college. But Tony's safety mattered more, and she shook her head firmly.
"What does this have to do with us? The government gets plenty of our taxes; they should be able to handle it themselves."
"Our intel suggests that Apocalypse can transfer his consciousness. If he builds his pyramid and harnesses Charles' powers, he could gain the ability to control the minds of every human on Earth."
Silence fell between Tony and Pepper. If this was true, the matter did indeed concern global safety, and no one would be untouched.
"Who else are you recruiting?" Pepper asked.
"Our initial lineup includes Erik, Natasha, Barton, Jean, Sam, Logan, Victor, Blonsky... and Banner."
.......
In the mountains of Michigan~
Bruce Banner sat in a small cabin, eating a breakfast he'd prepared himself. To avoid detection, he lived in seclusion, growing and foraging for his food.
"Knock, knock…"
At the sound of the door, Banner tensed and grabbed a shotgun. He cautiously cracked open the door.
"Who's there?"
"Hello, Mr. Banner. We're with S.H.I.E.L.D."
Realizing they knew his name, Banner's nerves flared, and his hand gripping the shotgun began to turn a shade of green.
Sensing his anxiety, the agents hurriedly explained, "We're not here to capture you. We're here to ask for your help in saving the world."
"Saving the world?" Banner's mind swam with questions.
The agents explained the events of the previous night, even showing him video footage on a tablet. Banner opened the door, allowing them inside.
"But I can't control the Hulk…"
"We're counting on both Hulk's strength and your intelligence."
"What about General Ross?"
"We've worked it out with him. You'll be part of S.H.I.E.L.D. from now on. He won't be coming after you anymore."
"Where's your vehicle?"
.......
In Cairo~
Night had fallen. Apocalypse stood with his mutant followers before a construction site where a pyramid was slowly being built.
The pyramid was enormous, and even with modern machinery, the project would take weeks to complete. The foundation work alone was still underway.
Apocalypse's patience wore thin. He considered completing the work himself but decided against it. A god deserved an audience, and if he finished the pyramid alone, Cairo would likely be destroyed in the process.
"Use your powers to speed up the construction," he ordered.
The mutants behind him nodded. "Yes, Lord Apocalypse."
With mutants wielding enhanced strength and speed, the pyramid's construction rate accelerated, heavy stones moving without the aid of machinery.
___________________
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