Without breaking a sweat, Jason successfully obtained the Aether particles—the Reality Stone in its fluid form. His actions immediately alerted Malekith and his army of Dark Elves, exactly as he'd anticipated.
However, after Jason securely stored the Aether within his God Domain, something unexpected happened—the Dark Elves completely lost their ability to track it. Their mystical connection to the ancient power was utterly severed.
After extensive investigation, Malekith naturally set his sights on Asgard as the culprit. After all, the Asgardians had defeated the Dark Elves millennia ago and sealed away the Aether particles. Besides Asgard, Malekith couldn't imagine any other power capable of completely blocking his perception of the ancient weapon.
Additionally, the Aether had last appeared in the convergence point of the Nine Realms. According to Malekith's scouts, shortly after the particles vanished, a brilliant rainbow light had streaked across the sky—unmistakably Asgard's Bifrost Bridge.
Combining all available information, Malekith reached a definitive conclusion: that bastard Odin must have taken the Aether!
With newfound purpose, Malekith immediately ordered the preparation of warships and soldiers. He would strike Asgard directly, reclaim the Reality Stone, and fulfill his ancient dream of plunging the Nine Realms into eternal darkness.
After a turbulent election season, the United States finally had its new commander-in-chief. The yellow-haired, one-eared President had officially stepped onto the world stage.
Jason hadn't initially given this political transition much thought. After all, regardless of who occupied the Oval Office, they would still need the support of both him and the Avengers to maintain global security.
But what he never anticipated was that this new President would completely disregard established protocols!
Facing a looming financial crisis, the President brazenly slashed the Avengers' funding by nearly half! Even more outrageous, the administration demanded control over the Avengers' trademark and operational rights.
This aggressive move caught Jason completely off guard. Where was this confidence coming from?
Without the Avengers' protection and support, how could anyone expect to maintain a stable presidency? Something didn't add up.
While Jason was still puzzling over this strange development, news broke that the One-Eared President was personally visiting New York. But instead of coming to the Avengers base first—as protocol would dictate—he headed directly to Stark Tower.
What truly shocked Jason was seeing the President appear on television alongside "Tony Stark"—who had been missing for weeks—to sign a massive defense contract together.
Apparently, thanks to the stellar performance of Stark Industries' defense robots during the Second Hell Invasion, the White House had decided to establish a long-term partnership with Stark Industries. The government would purchase over 500 advanced combat robots annually at a cost of tens of billions of dollars, deploying them for everything from peacekeeping to law enforcement.
Watching the smugly grinning "Stark" on television, Jason was completely stunned. Tony Stark's body and soul were both securely in his possession—so who the hell was this impostor on TV?
After capturing Mephisto, Jason had separated Stark's soul from his body, which had previously been possessed by the demon lord. Both remained under Jason's control. So this person on screen...
Before he could fully process this bizarre situation, Jason received notification that President One-Ear requested a meeting with him and "Stark" at the Avengers facility.
Roughly an hour later, a sour-faced man with one ear stormed into Jason's office, clearly irritated that Jason hadn't personally greeted him at the entrance.
"Stark" followed close behind. The moment Jason laid eyes on him, he instantly recognized what this fake Stark actually was—a sophisticated robot! Though covered with realistic synthetic skin that made it nearly indistinguishable from a human, its true mechanical nature was plainly visible to Jason's enhanced perception.
The only question was: where had this robot come from?
The moment the One-Eared President entered, he dropped heavily into a chair, not bothering with pleasantries. "Mr. Jason, the Avengers' funding will be cut, effective immediately! The country simply cannot sustain such extravagant expenditures any longer."
His voice hardened. "Additionally, I'm dispatching a team of auditors to investigate every penny of previous funding allocated to the Avengers. Complete transparency is non-negotiable."
Jason studied him calmly, maintaining a polite smile despite the hostility. "Mr. President, I should remind you that while you certainly have authority over federal funding allocations, you have no jurisdiction to audit the Avengers operations. President Freeman and I signed a binding agreement stating that the Avengers would operate under my sole command, with explicit protection from government interference."
The President's face twisted with contempt. "Freeman was a traitor to this country! He made countless desperate concessions just to cling to power. I intend to correct every mistake he made."
He leaned forward aggressively. "I've withdrawn from every international agreement he signed and reversed every policy he implemented. I can certainly overturn whatever conditions he granted you! America will become great again under my leadership! No one stands above the government!"
Jason sighed deeply. "Are you really determined to undermine the Avengers? We've shed blood countless times to protect both the United States and the world."
Jason studied the President's face more carefully. "Weren't you a real estate developer in New York before entering politics? Surely you witnessed firsthand how we fought to save the city from total destruction?"
As soon as these words left Jason's mouth, the President's face contorted with unprecedented rage.
"Of course I saw everything!" he exploded, slamming his fist on the desk. "That freak Cyclops blasted right through one of my premium buildings! The Hulk completely demolished the foundation of my flagship property! Your so-called 'heroics' not only attracted those damn aliens to Earth in the first place but completely ruined my multi-billion-dollar development projects!"
He was practically spitting with fury now. "Do you have ANY idea how much property values in New York have plummeted because of you people? FIVE PERCENT! I worked my entire life building my empire, and now I'm practically a pauper! Do you know how much debt I'm drowning in now? EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION!"
The President's face had turned an alarming shade of crimson. "Thank you? You expect me to THANK you? For what exactly?"
He slammed the table again, hard enough to make the pens jump. "You so-called 'superheroes' are the reason New York has become uninvestable! You're nothing but parasites feeding off this country's resources!"
So THAT was the real issue! Jason finally understood—there truly is no hatred without reason. This was personal.
Faced with such naked animosity, Jason could only shrug. "Without us, I assure you the situation would have been infinitely worse."
At this moment, the Stark robot, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. "Actually, the Avengers could easily be phased out completely. The defense robots I've developed can fully assume your responsibilities."
The robot's voice was unnervingly similar to the real Tony's as it continued, "Moreover, they follow orders without question, remain under complete government control, and can be mass-produced efficiently. Extremely cost-effective from every perspective."
This robot's smug, confrontational attitude was eerily identical to Stark's. Rather than exposing the imposter, Jason simply smiled and asked, "I'm curious, Mr. President—are you aware that your new partner here nearly destroyed the world?"
He kept his tone conversational. "If you know that, how could you possibly entrust him with global security? Can you guarantee these defense robots won't be reprogrammed as your personal mercenary force whenever convenient?"
The robot Stark's expression flickered with something resembling alarm.
The One-Eared President, however, maintained his cold demeanor. "I'm fully aware of Stark's history. The fact that I'm willing to partner with him should tell you I'm confident in my ability to maintain control."
He straightened in his chair. "Nuclear weapons are far more dangerous than robots, yet nobody worries about them detonating spontaneously. Proper oversight is all that's required."
Jason raised an eyebrow and shook his head in resignation. "Since you're so confident in your approach, there's little more I can say. As you wish—the Avengers will withdraw completely from American soil."
The President gave a dismissive snort. "I never explicitly demanded your departure from the United States. This is entirely your voluntary decision."
"Of course it's voluntary," Jason replied smoothly. "Although America no longer values our service, I'm certain we'll have no difficulty finding a more appreciative host nation."
The One-Eared President stood up, meticulously straightening his suit jacket with the smug satisfaction of a man who believes he's won. "I suggest Australia. They have an entire desert there—plenty of space for your collection of freaks to operate without disrupting civilized society."
"Thank you for your thoughtful suggestion," Jason nodded with perfect politeness. "I'll certainly take it under consideration."
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