An official frowned as he looked at Nick Fury's list.
"We are indeed in a war, but what we need are stronger weapons, not…"
Nick didn't answer directly. Instead, he pulled up footage of Loki's appearance and the ensuing battle at the base, then began to explain:
"With all due respect, we're facing someone who can disregard all of our current infantry weapons and has firepower comparable to a 105mm howitzer. Anyone within 500 meters of him is in extreme danger. Not to mention, he easily took control of Agent Hawkeye, who's rated as a C-level loyal operative on the Avengers list. When an individual's power can ignore conventional weaponry, we have to learn to compromise."
The official countered, "Are you suggesting we entrust the future of our country, and even the world, to a masked vigilante, a Greek warrior, an alien, and a so-called 'god' from myth?"
He was referring to Batman, Kratos, Superman, and Thor.
Indeed, long before Atreus entered this world, Thor had already made an appearance, but then left again.
Nick cleared his throat. "I need an emergency response team. We might not be able to gather everyone on the list, but I believe if we get half of them and give them the right motivation, we will succeed."
The officials remained silent. After some discussion, they voted, and finally, they unanimously agreed to initiate the Avengers Initiative.
However, compared to the original version, the new Avengers roster had a significant expansion.
They couldn't ignore the heroes from DC. Due to some of them being masked, their anonymity was causing headaches for the higher-ups in the U.S.
Nick had the same problem. He could only start by contacting the individuals whose whereabouts were known.
He personally approached Captain America, Steve Rogers, who was still in recovery. Black Widow was sent to find Bruce Banner, the Hulk, and Agent Coulson was tasked with reaching Tony Stark.
When Stark Tower's lighting ceremony was complete, and it was officially operational, Coulson arrived.
After Tony's escape from Afghanistan, Coulson had helped Tony deal with his partner Stane without the need for internal conflict at Stark Industries.
Coulson was well-acquainted with Tony and Pepper.
After some casual small talk, Coulson easily recruited Tony.
Tony had already known about the Avengers Initiative. He had been temporarily excluded from the program due to his ego, not because he didn't want to join.
Coulson then posed a question that tested Tony's humanity: "Hey, Tony, do you know how to contact Kratos, Batman, or Superman?"
Tony was a complex hero, full of contradictions, with both strengths and weaknesses. He could be unreliable at times, often solving problems in ways that seemed absurd or based on pure luck. Yet no one ever accused him of betraying his friends.
Even in Captain America: Civil War, Tony only confronted Steve Rogers after a formal declaration of conflict.
When Coulson posed his subtle test, Tony almost reflexively responded with, "No, I don't, that's nonsense." But instead, he played it cool, pausing slightly before frowning.
"I don't know Superman. He hasn't been around in a long time. He appeared before I became Iron Man. As for Kratos and Batman, I know of them, but we haven't exchanged contact information."
Coulson wasn't too surprised. "No worries. Batman has a public contact line, and Director Fury will handle that. We'll figure out how to reach Kratos."
Tony agreed to join the Avengers, and Coulson had completed his mission.
After Coulson left, Tony called his AI assistant in secret: "Jarvis, reach out to my 'old friend' and see if he's interested in attending the party I mentioned."
In English, "party" can have a double meaning, commonly referring to a social event but also to a team or faction.
Without Tony lifting a finger, a seemingly ordinary yet cryptic post appeared on a certain forum:
"Hey, bro! We're gearing up for a big (Avengers) battle tonight, and we need one more. Are you in?"
Meanwhile, Atreus was enjoying a performance by the Canary Sisters and Helen's dance when he saw the forum notification.
He casually replied to a post on another Middle Eastern forum.
The username was random, but the letters of the name could be deciphered to spell "Kratos" in English.
The post itself seemed meaningless, but once decrypted, it read:
"I'd rather have senators work for me than work for them. But, of course, if you're in trouble, I'll lend a hand."
Tony saw the message and sighed. For a moment, he regretted being so public about being Iron Man.
But the regret only lasted for a second. After all, if he could be low-key, he wouldn't be Tony Stark.
Atreus refused for his own reasons.
Joining the Justice League and joining the Avengers were fundamentally different.
The Justice League was an unofficial organization led by Batman, essentially a group of superheroes united by a common ideology. If it worked, great; if not, they could part ways without much concern.
The Avengers, however, were different. From day one, it was deeply tied to the government. Joining meant access to official resources like aircraft, weapons, and support, but at a cost.
For example, it's like a game character on a PS console being ported to PC—you're still the same character, but you don't get to decide what you wear. Like Helen being forced to wear a maid outfit and not having control over her actions.
Captain America: Civil War perfectly illustrates the cost.
Once you're in, the government has all your data. You'll get some rewards for being loyal, but when you refuse to compromise, even someone like Captain America, who embodies American ideals, can have his followers imprisoned.
Tony's decision to join ultimately came down to the close ties between Stark Industries and the government. His position inherently made him more willing to compromise with official powers.
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