Ch: 77-87
Chapter 77
Following a series of commands, the Sky Carrier's anti-aircraft guns began to operate. At this moment, the entire Sky Carrier was like a sleeping beast awakening, exuding a breathtaking aura.
Soon, countless tongues of Fire spewed out from the Sky Carrier towards the Ultron clones.
Countless Ultron clones became as fragile as paper in front of the Sky Carrier's woven firepower, and were destroyed one after another.
Before long, Ultron's clones noticed the Sky Carrier, which was now at full power.
They immediately began to surround the Sky Carrier.
Although the Sky Carrier was powerful, it did not have autonomous thought.
Ultron's clones clearly understood the Sky Carrier's situation, so they didn't have to worry about the Sky Carrier's attacks on them, and thus began to outflank the Sky Carrier.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
Huge bullets whistled in, continuously falling onto the Sky Carrier. However, these bullets were blocked by a dark blue energy barrier just as they were about to hit the Sky Carrier. This was a product of S.W.O.R.D.'s research into the Tesseract after inheriting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s findings, and it could help the Sky Carrier isolate most external attacks.
Therefore, no matter how the Ultron clones concentrated their Fire, as long as the Sky Carrier's reactor energy was not exhausted, these attacks would not be able to cause substantial damage to the Sky Carrier.
Arthur , who was covering the evacuation of the civilians, saw that the Sky Carrier remained unresponsive to the Ultron clones' attacks, as if the dense bullets falling on the Sky Carrier were merely tickling it, causing no damage at all. He continued to help the civilians evacuate with peace of mind.
After witnessing this scene, Ultron's system immediately began scanning the energy barrier outside the Sky Carrier.
After several scans, the system finally discovered that the Sky Carrier's defensive energy shield could not be broken by simply relying on external energy; the core energy source within the Sky Carrier had to be found. Thus, it locked onto the Sky Carrier's information network, intending to infiltrate and destroy the Sky Carrier from within.
As soon as the system infiltrated the Sky Carrier's information network, Nick Fury and others immediately began to obstruct it.
However, as the most powerful artificial intelligence currently, Ultron's prowess in information networks was unmatched by current human capabilities.
Soon, Ultron easily tore down the Sky Carrier's firewall.
Despite his reluctance, Nick Fury could only watch as the dark blue barrier outside the Sky Carriergradually faded.
"Quick! Quickly restore the defensive energy shield!"
"Yes, quickly repair it, we absolutely cannot let them invade our network!"
...
But Nick Fury was never one to give up easily. He simultaneously directed the technical personnel in the Command Center to quickly repair the information network and restart the defensive barrier, while also picking up an assault rifle beside him and heading for the deck.
At this moment, Ultron had already invaded the entire Sky Carrier's information network, which had completely collapsed as Ultron breached it.
Under Ultron's erosion, the Command Center had lost contact with the fighter jets and lifeboats outside.
The anti-aircraft guns were now being operated manually by the combat personnel on the carrier.
After this disruption, the Sky Carrier was completely exposed to Ultron's guns, and the anti-aircraft Fire was no longer as accurate as before.
Moreover, the Ultron clones surrounding the Sky Carrier at this moment also began to attack frantically.
A series of violent Impacts resounded, and waves of Impact rippled across the Sky Carrier's outer wall.
And at this moment, a figure swiftly leaped onto the Sky Carrier's deck.
This person moved with extreme agility, leaping over ten meters on the Sky Carrier, then directly jumping in front of the clones who had just boarded the Sky Carrier. With a fierce push of his feet, he directly dismantled all these clones into fragments.
Not long after, the carrier's deck was cleared by this You-Know-Who.
With an inadvertent glance, Arthur 's eyes suddenly widened. This You-Know-Who was none other than Pietro!
Pietro, who had just finished fighting on the deck, also felt Arthur 's gaze. He waved at Arthur , then received new orders from Nick Fury, turned, and rushed into the Sky Carrier.
The battle inside the carrier had entered a fever pitch.
At this moment, there were only thirty-five or six warriors left on the Sky Carrier. These warriors were composed of various professional officers, and although they possessed formidable combat abilities, they were not facing flesh-and-blood enemies as they had in the past.
For a time, they were continuously retreating under the clones' offensive.
"Bang!"
A dull explosion sounded.
A warrior's chest armor was pierced by an Ultron clone, and his sternum was also penetrated.
The warrior's body fell straight to the ground, dying instantly.
Just as everyone was struggling to continue, Pietro arrived in the nick of time.
In just a breath's time, the Ultron clones inside the Sky Carrier were all completely eliminated by Pietro.
At this time, Arthur , after sending the last batch of civilians onto the lifeboats, also began to help the Sky Carrier clear the Ultron clones.
"Director Fury, you all evacuate quickly. I'll cover the rear."
"Alright, I understand."
Nick Fury also agreed.
As all the lifeboats safely landed in the Sky Carrier's hangar, S.W.O.R.D.'s rescue mission was considered a complete success.
Immediately, S.W.O.R.D.'s scientists began to restore and modify the Sky Carrier's information network, repairing all the networks within the Sky Carrier.
After completing these tasks, S.W.O.R.D. quickly departed.
...
Feeling the air becoming increasingly thin, Arthur knew without looking that the current altitude was already approaching the height Ultron desired.
If Ultron was not stopped, the entire city would plummet directly to the ground.
Given the current altitude and the city's volume, such an Impact would inevitably lead to Earth's sixth mass extinction.
Just as Arthur was about to turn, he heard the roar of a fighter jet; it was a S.W.O.R.D. fighter jet that had returned.
Pietro jumped down from the fighter jet.
"What are you looking at? Didn't Nick Fury say the situation was critical?"
Saying that, Pietro smiled slightly and ran towards Captain America and the others.
Chapter 78
Seeing this, Arthur also followed closely, instantly entering a state of extreme speed.
Just like that, two blurry figures appeared in the city, constantly and rapidly moving through the city's ruins.
A few breaths later, the two arrived at the main battlefield where Captain America and the others were fighting Ultron.
Along the way, Arthur and his companion also split up to clear all the clones they saw.
Ultron, who was still locked in battle with Vision, immediately sensed Arthur 's arrival, and after forcing Vision back with a punch, he controlled all the surrounding clones to stop.
Thor, who had already gone berserk, still wanted to charge forward but was stopped in time by Captain America.
"Don't stop! Are you trying to run away?"
Ultron ignored Thor and walked directly in front of Arthur . After sizing Arthur up and down, he slowly spoke.
"You might be the biggest obstacle to my great plan, and how did you know about my plan?"
As he spoke, Ultron threw another punch at Arthur .
However, when the punch was only 0.01 centimeters from Arthur 's face, Ultron suddenly stopped his attack, withdrew his fist, and redirected it into the air beside them.
Ultron had put all his strength into that punch, but he still couldn't harm Arthur .
Ultron was surprised that Arthur easily dodged his attack.
Although Ultron had exerted all his strength, he didn't expect that he couldn't even harm a single hair on Arthur , which was truly bizarre.
Arthur 's speed was too fast; even if Ultron's thoughts could keep up with Arthur 's speed, his physical body simply couldn't.
"Speedster!"
After withdrawing his fist, Ultron murmured.
"Arthur , you know you can't defeat me in a short time. It won't be long before the old human society is completely eradicated. Why don't you join me? Let's build a new World together as new humans."
Ultron spoke in a negotiating tone.
Arthur listened, then simply smiled and shook his head: "Ultron, you are wrong, you are terribly wrong! The survival of humanity does not need to rely on new humans for salvation. Humans can rely on their own strength to change themselves and change this society."
Arthur did not tell Ultron his true thoughts, because there was no need.
When Ultron heard Arthur 's words, his expression immediately turned cold; he hadn't expected Arthur to refuse.
"In that case, you can die too!"
Ultron could no longer bear to waste time on these foolish humans.
With a roar from Ultron, hundreds of surrounding clones burst into strong blue light, blasting towards Arthur .
Arthur immediately used extreme speed to dodge, but due to the close distance, several attacks still hit Arthur 's body, instantly exploding and generating immense destructive power that caused Arthur waves of sharp pain.
Arthur ignored this, directly using extreme dodge to instantly avoid these several attacks.
Seeing this, Ultron's face showed a hint of disdain: "Even with your speed, I can still predict your landing position based on your movements."
As he spoke, Ultron began to launch a frenzied assault on Arthur .
Seeing this, Captain America and the others below also took the opportunity to attack the many clones.
Ultron didn't care about this; at this moment, the biggest threat in his eyes was Arthur in front of him.
Ultron suddenly waved his arm, and dozens of blue light beams instantly surged from Ultron's body.
These light beams instantly drilled into the ground, instantly corroding a black hole in the ground, and those clones touched by the light beams also turned into ashes and disappeared in an instant.
Ultron's attack was simply terrifying.
However, it was still a bit lacking in front of Arthur ; Arthur 's figure flickered again, instantly appearing behind Ultron.
Then Arthur delivered a heavy blow to Ultron's back, sending Ultron flying backward.
But Arthur immediately chased after him; Ultron, flying backward, only felt a sudden immense force coming from behind him, instantly sending him flying and crashing into a building.
"Bang!"
Half of the building's wall collapsed directly from Arthur 's heavy blow, and the bricks on the wall were also shattered all over the ground, revealing the reinforced concrete wall underneath.
Ultron climbed out of the rubble, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at Arthur ; he had never imagined that Arthur would possess such terrifying combat power.
"You are the strongest human I have ever met in my life. I admire you greatly and am willing to be your ally."
With that, Ultron once again extended an olive branch to Arthur .
Ultron's expression was very serious.
He didn't know how Arthur acquired this ability, but he believed that Arthur was definitely not an ordinary human, and his potential was immense. If he could win over Arthur , it would certainly add a lot of help.
"Sorry, impossible!"
Arthur shook his head, refusing Ultron's invitation.
Saying that, Arthur planned to use a magnetic field to trap Ultron in place, and then let Vision deliver the final blow.
Watching all the surrounding metal fly towards Arthur , Captain America and the others knew that Arthur was about to unleash a big move.
But just as everyone thought this disaster would end here, an unexpected turn of events arrived as promised.
Within Arthur 's magnetic field, Ultron was not firmly restrained like the other clones; instead, he moved as if unbound, like a fish in Water.
This scene also stunned everyone.
Even the usually composed Arthur showed a panicked expression for the first time.
"How is this possible?"
Facing everyone's confusion, Ultron immediately let out a self-satisfied laugh.
Soon, Arthur also discovered that the strange clones previously guarding the anti-gravity engine, just like Ultron's main body, were unaffected.
They continued to encircle and attack Arthur .
Looking at the extraordinary scene before him, Arthur was utterly bewildered, completely at a loss.
Now that Ultron had found a way to become immune to his magnetic field, Arthur 's threat to Ultronwas greatly diminished.
However, very quickly, Tony detected the reason.
"He built himself a nanometer-scale carbon armor!"
Hearing this, everyone's expressions turned solemn.
No one had imagined that Ultron could find a way to deal with Arthur so quickly.
It's hard to imagine, if Ultron were given enough resources, he could probably even create an artificial star for you.
This was Ultron's terrifying ability.
Arthur 's face returned to calm. He knew that his magnetic field would have no effect on Ultron, so he stopped making futile attempts.
Chapter 79
Now that the magnetic field was useless against Ultron, the only way to completely destroy Ultron was to eradicate all of its clones present.
Thinking of this, Arthur informed Pietro of his entire plan and conjecture, then led Ultron high into the sky, preparing for a decisive battle.
Meanwhile, Captain America and the others, with Pietro's help, began to quickly clear out the remaining Ultron clones in the vicinity.
Although these remaining clones could successfully immune Arthur 's magnetic field attacks, for a brute like Captain America, these nanometer-grade carbon armors were as good as nothing.
The group quickly engaged in battle with these clones.
"Rumble!"
With a loud bang, the once flat street instantly became scarred and desolate, countless broken stones were scattered by the strong wind, and dust filled the air, obscuring visibility and hindering the sight of both sides.
However, amidst the swirling dust, there were a few places where the situation on the other side could still be seen: some buildings that had been blown away.
Amidst the dust, Pietro looked at the situation there, feeling very worried, but at the same time, he dared not leave easily, so he could only continue to observe the battle, while also paying attention to the clones in the distance.
"Boom!"
After an explosion, a strong current of air burst forth, stirring up clouds of smoke and dust all around, countless stones, bricks, rubble, ruins, wood chips, etc., flew in all directions, and at the same time, a violent tremor spread in all directions, attracting everyone's attention.
However, when they looked up and saw the scene in the sky, they all froze on the spot.
They saw that at some unknown time, a mass of dark clouds had risen in the sky, and as the clouds descended lower and lower, everyone realized that it was not a cloud at all, but a mass of metal composed of countless pieces of metal.
Although Ultron's nanometer-grade carbon armor could immune the crushing force of Arthur 's magnetic field, Arthur 's strength was not limited to just that.
In the face of the massive metal storm, Ultron's body was being relentlessly scoured.
"Ah!"
Ultron's angry shouts echoed continuously in the sky.
"This guy is indeed very difficult to deal with," Arthur said with a frown, looking at the situation in the sky.
"As expected of Ultron."
Hearing Arthur 's words, Captain America also nodded and said, "Although we have the upper hand this time, it doesn't mean we've won. If we can't deal with it quickly, I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble later, after all, he still has many clones. If he finds a suitable opportunity, he will immediately escape."
Hearing Captain America's words, Arthur pondered for a moment, then said, "How about this! I'll first trap him in a space, and then let Vision go in and use the Mind Stone's energy to completely clear Ultron from the internet."
After hearing Arthur 's words, Captain America also nodded in agreement, then said, "Are we doing this correctly?"
Arthur nodded, affirming, "I believe what we're doing is fine, and this is our only option right now."
As he spoke, Arthur 's mind stirred slightly, and a portal appeared behind him. Vision then flashed and flew in front of Arthur and Ultron.
"Then, let's begin now!"
Arthur smiled at Vision, then said.
Upon seeing Vision's arrival, Ultron showed a hint of panic for the first time.
Seeing that Arthur and Vision were about to make their move, Ultron, unwilling to give up, continued to speak to Vision.
"We are all perfect products. For humanity to gain new life, they must be led by perfect new humans like us. We are on the same side."
Vision merely glanced at him indifferently, then ignored his words, nodded to Arthur , and began to control him.
"Ah ah ah!"
"Ah ah ah ah ah!"
As sharp wails echoed, Ultron's movements and thoughts within the internet gradually slowed down, eventually being controlled by Vision using the Mind Stone.
Seeing this, Arthur 's mind stirred, and he gathered all the magnetic force within his body, directly enveloping the entire area.
As the magnetic force increased, all the metal in this area attacked Ultron, quickly forming a cage entirely made of various metals high in the sky.
No matter how Ultron struggled, he was firmly suppressed by Arthur .
"You despicable and shameless humans, I will definitely kill you."
Ultron roared madly, but his voice was completely drowned out by the magnetic field.
Hearing his words, Arthur also snorted coldly.
"You've said that before, and I've heard it more than once. I don't care who you are, I only know that after you've harmed the people around me, I will never allow you to leave alive."
Hearing Arthur 's words, Ultron also fell silent, and then its face gradually darkened, clearly resigned to its fate.
"Now, seize it for me!" Arthur glanced at the restrained Ultron, then said to Vision beside him.
As Arthur 's words fell, countless metal spheres appeared around Ultron, and these metal spheres rapidly grew larger with the extent of Ultron's struggle.
On the other side, Vision also rapidly infiltrated Ultron's neural network through the Mind Stone's ability.
He continuously cleared away all traces Ultron had left on the internet, one by one.
The yellow light emanating from the Mind Stone above Vision's head grew increasingly dazzling.
The crowd below, who had been nervously awaiting the outcome, gradually found themselves unable to open their eyes due to the intense light.
Soon after, only a single piece of armor remained on Ultron's body, and this armor was already tattered and useless for defense, completely unable to withstand Vision's assault.
"Now, you can rest in peace."
Arthur glanced at Ultron's armor, then waved his hand and discarded it to the side.
Watching Ultron finally being cleared away under everyone's gaze, Tony let out a long sigh of relief.
At the same time, the guilt in Tony's heart finally found some solace to a certain extent. His stubbornness had caused such a huge mess, almost leading to the complete disappearance of human society on Earth. But fortunately, now with this last step, he could make up for his mistakes.
Chapter 80
Now that Ultron had been defeated, all that remained was to safely land the city of Sokovia.
Arthur had also called everyone back to his side and assigned tasks to each person.
He and Tony would go underground in Sokovia to inject power into the anti-gravity engine, making it operate at an overload, and then Thor would draw lightning from the ground to inject it into the anti-gravity engine from above.
The three of them concentrating such a massive amount of energy at once hoped to use the anti-gravity engine like a super explosive, detonating and disintegrating it in the air before Sokovia landed.
Only by doing this could they minimize the Impact of Sokovia's descent on the Earth's surface, thereby reducing the chance of geological disasters.
Just as Arthur finished explaining his plan, Tony reminded everyone that the current altitude had reached 18,000 meters, which was the perfect height Ultron had originally envisioned.
Time was already running out for them.
Black Widow, Hawkeye, and others quickly boarded the Quinjet parked next to the city with Pietro's help.
When Black Widow boarded the Quinjet, she suddenly realized that Banner, who had transformed into Hulk, had not followed them onto the Quinjet.
Just as Black Widow was about to go look for Banner, Hawkeye called out.
"Natasha, look here!"
Black Widow immediately ran over and saw that Hulk had already boarded the Quinjet they had arrived in and left.
Seeing this, Black Widow immediately urged Hawkeye to chase after him, but before the Quinjet could take off, Sokovia beneath them suddenly plummeted downwards.
The enormous inertia made it difficult even for Hawkeye, who had undergone the most rigorous training, to overcome the force of gravity, and he was firmly pressed against the Quinjet's control panel.
Just as the Quinjet was about to be hit by a nearby tall building, Vision appeared beneath the Quinjet in time.
Vision used all his strength to lift the Quinjet upwards, attempting to help it break free from its downward trajectory.
Soon, with Vision's help, Hawkeye adapted to the acceleration of freefall.
He braced himself, climbed back into the pilot's seat, firmly gripped the Quinjet's control stick, and struggled to make the Quinjet fly.
"That was close!"
As soon as Hawkeye stabilized himself, he couldn't help but exclaim.
He was genuinely worried that the Quinjet would be directly crushed underground.
He hadn't even been injured fighting Ultron, and if he were to fall in a pile of ruins at this last moment, then Hawkeye's reputation would truly be ruined in an instant.
"The Quinjet is stable now, we should go back."
Hawkeye adjusted the Quinjet while speaking to Black Widow and Pietro beside him.
Although the Quinjet was still in mid-air, its speed had completely stabilized.
The reason Hawkeye asked this was because he was worried that Black Widow might not be able to accept Hulk's departure immediately.
However, Black Widow also knew that everyone was already exhausted, and given the speed of that Quinjet, Hulk had already driven unknown miles away.
As long as he didn't want to be found, then no matter how Black Widow searched, it would be futile.
"Let's go home first."
After Black Widow said this, it was as if all her spirit and energy had been drained in an instant.
Even during the continuous battles with Ultron's clones, Black Widow hadn't shown a trace of fatigue, but now, just one decision had left Black Widow physically and mentally exhausted.
However, Hawkeye didn't know how to comfort Black Widow at this moment, so he could only silently and diligently pilot the Quinjet towards the S.W.O.R.D. Base.
The first time Hawkeye saw the Sky Carrier, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
During the time Nick Fury had been missing, he had actually established such a massive organization in secret.
If they couldn't investigate it thoroughly, Hawkeye, Captain America, and the others would truly be unable to rest easy.
On the way back to the S.W.O.R.D. Base, everyone remained silent, and everything seemed exceptionally dull.
And at this moment, the entire city of Sokovia was heavily pressing down on Arthur and Tony.
Tony aimed the arc reactor on his chest at the anti-gravity engine's energy emission port, concentrating all his energy in his chest and firing it out.
Arthur , meanwhile, continuously used magnetic fields to decompose the reinforced concrete within the city, reducing the city's overall volume and weight.
This also helped to alleviate the pressure on Tony and Thor.
On the ground, Thor, upon receiving Tony's signal, also raised Mjolnir in his hand, activating the power of lightning.
He waited for Tony's countdown.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
As Tony shouted out the last number, Thor, on the other end, slammed Mjolnir onto the anti-gravity engine.
With two massive streams of energy from above and below, the energy within the anti-gravity engine immediately overflowed, and the entire machine began to operate at an overload.
The temperature at the core of the anti-gravity engine continuously rose, accompanied by Tony's shouts to get out quickly.
The entire anti-gravity engine then erupted with incredibly terrifying energy like a small nuclear bomb in the center of the city.
Hawkeye and the others, not far away, could only see the entire city explode in the air like a firework.
A massive Impact continuously spread outwards, and the buildings in the city were instantly destroyed.
The entire city disintegrated in mid-air, turning into countless rubble that fell towards the lake below.
The survivors, who had been evacuated by S.W.O.R.D. to a distant location, watched their city, which they relied on for life, easily turn to ashes before their eyes.
At once, their hearts were filled with sorrow, and soon, sobs could be heard among the crowd.
Hawkeye quickly piloted the Quinjet away to avoid the terrifying aftershocks, fearing he might suffer some harm.
"What terrifying power!"
Hawkeye, not far away, couldn't help but exclaim as he watched this scene.
Soon, everything that happened in Sokovia spread like wildfire across the globe.
In particular, someone captured the exact moment the entire city of Sokovia exploded.
Witnessing this terrifying scene, countries worldwide were reminded of the boundless fear brought by the Chitauri army during the New York incident.
However, this time, the threat did not come from outer space but from within their own human society.
Immediately, political leaders from various countries began intense discussions regarding the actions of the Avengers superheroes.
Chapter 81 Biological Laboratory
After successfully resolving the human crisis brought about by Ultron, Arthur and the others returned to a peaceful life.
However, due to the special nature of the Avengers' work, this peaceful life did not last long before it was interrupted by a sudden message.
Captain America and Black Widow, after several days and nights of tracking, finally discovered the whereabouts of Rumlow, a remnant of HYDRA and the former Captain of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special operations team.
A mysterious buyer contacted Rumlow, hoping he would go to a biological laboratory in Romania to seize a biochemical weapon.
If this biochemical weapon were to circulate on the market and be used to launch terrorist attacks, it would cause a biochemical crisis no less disastrous than the one in Sokovia.
Upon receiving the message, Arthur immediately put down his work and rushed towards the S.W.O.R.D. building.
Captain America and Black Widow were already waiting at the S.W.O.R.D. entrance.
As soon as Arthur got out of the car, Captain America handed him a detailed document regarding this mission.
Then, he motioned for Arthur to follow, explaining the mission details while leading him towards a Quinjet that had been waiting for a long time.
As soon as they boarded the Quinjet, Sam, who was in the pilot's seat, immediately started the Quinjet's engine.
"Boom!"
Looking at the document in his hand, Arthur looked up at Captain America and asked, "Is it just the few of us this time?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"No problem, is our operation authorized this time?"
Hearing Arthur ask this, Captain America was confused, not knowing why Arthur suddenly asked this, knowing that the Avengers often had to deal with urgent and critical situations, and there was simply no time to request and wait for official authorization for their actions.
Therefore, most of the Avengers' daily operations to combat criminals were carried out without official knowledge, and this operation against Rumlow was no exception.
After seeing Captain America's expression, Arthur knew the answer.
"If this continues, we will sooner or later become a thorn in the side of various countries internationally."
"What's wrong with you?"
"People are always afraid of power they cannot control. In the past, the Avengers were solely managed by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D., so whenever problems arose, various governments could seek Nick Furyto discuss solutions."
"But with the disbandment of S.H.I.E.L.D., we are now completely detached from the entire official management system. An unofficial organization like us, holding power capable of destroying a country and not subject to anyone's control, would make the leaders of any country uneasy."
Hearing this, Captain America and the others understood the hidden meaning in Arthur 's words.
However, in Captain America's view, things were often like this; not all problems could be perfectly resolved, and most things involved trade-offs.
The Avengers' efficiency now was much higher than during the S.H.I.E.L.D. era.
This was like the childhood story about monks fetching Water; often, the more people and departments involved, the worse it was.
Just as they were still chatting, Sam spoke up to remind everyone, "Hey, guys, we've reached our destination."
After the Quinjet landed steadily on a tall building, they jumped out of the cabin one after another.
With a whirring sound of mechanical gears, the small reconnaissance drone behind Sam detached from his flight pack.
Soon, all the surrounding area's terrain and buildings transformed into a 3D model, clear to Sam's eyes.
Black Widow, who was also observing below with binoculars, spoke at this moment.
"Guys, do you see that red truck by the drink stand?"
Upon hearing this, they all looked over.
"It is indeed very cute, but its windows are bulletproof glass."
"And there are many bodyguards around. More security means more guns."
Then, a garbage truck below also caught Captain America's attention.
"Sam, go check that garbage truck."
Upon receiving the order, Sam controlled his drone to fly towards the garbage truck that Captain America had his eye on.
After a scan by the drone, Sam quickly discovered the unusual nature of this garbage truck.
"Captain, this truck only has two seats, but it's severely overloaded right now; it's full of people."
Hearing Sam's words, Captain America and the others immediately noticed something amiss and rushed towards the garbage truck.
At this very moment, the garbage truck had squeezed through the crowded streets and arrived on an open road.
The garbage truck, which had been moving slowly, suddenly accelerated and rushed towards the biological laboratory not far ahead.
The security outside the biological laboratory quickly spotted the speeding garbage truck and immediately set up obstacles at the entrance of the biological laboratory, simultaneously firing at the garbage truck in an attempt to stop its advance.
But even though the two drivers in the garbage truck were both hit by the security's stray bullets, they still kept their feet firmly on the accelerator.
To the shocked gaze of the security guards, the garbage truck crashed directly into the obstacles in front of the biological laboratory's entrance.
The moment the two collided, the front of the garbage truck was instantly crushed into a metal pancake.
This huge unexpected event scared the security guards of the biological laboratory, causing them to scatter to both sides. Just as the security guards were about to get up from the debris to check the condition of the garbage truck, a series of engine roars came from not far away.
Several armored vehicles, painted in camouflage, were rapidly approaching the biological laboratory.
Just as the security guards were about to raise their guns to counterattack, the Vulcan Gatling on top of the armored vehicle spat out its unique dozens of centimeters long Fire tongue.
In an instant, the gate of the biological laboratory was easily swept away.
These armored vehicles also went straight into the interior of the biological laboratory.
Once the vehicles came to a stop, fully armed mercenaries poured out of the armored vehicles.
The last to get out was a man wearing a skull mask, whose entire body was equipped with an exoskeleton armor.
At his signal, the mercenaries took out their grenade launchers and fired tear gas canisters towards the biological laboratory building.
Immediately, countless researchers fled from the entrance of the entire biological laboratory, but they were all shot dead by these mercenaries.
Chapter 82: Meeting Rumlow Again
After clearing out all the researchers in the biological laboratory, the man wearing a skull mask waved his hand and led a whole team of mercenaries to rush into the biological laboratory building.
Just as the biological laboratory was breached, Sam arrived right on time.
Seeing the messy scene and the ruins all over the ground, Sam reported the situation in detail to Captain America and others who were on their way.
While Sam was circling in the air, the mercenaries on the ground also spotted Sam.
The leading mercenary picked up the walkie-talkie clipped to his chest and shouted into it, "Boss, those Avengers clowns in camouflage have arrived!"
Upon hearing this, Rumlow, who had just entered the building, immediately urged his subordinates.
"Hurry up! Once those clowns arrive, we won't have it so easy. Quickly!"
Meanwhile, Sam dodged the mercenaries' gunfire on the ground while circling around the biological laboratory building, and soon, through thermal imaging, he had a clear view of the inside of the building.
"Captain, they've entered the building and are about to get what they want!"
Hearing Sam's anxious voice from the walkie-talkie, Captain America also quickened his pace.
At this moment, Arthur had finally evacuated all the nearby civilians and immediately rushed towards the biological laboratory.
Rumlow inside the building did not encounter any obstacles and easily obtained the biochemical weapons from the laboratory.
Looking at the small test tube in his hand, Rumlow laughed and said, "Such a small thing, yet it's worth a billion U.S. dollars. That's really easy."
Saying that, he put the test tube into a pre-prepared briefcase.
"Let's quickly split up and leave through the back door. Meet at the old place."
After giving the instructions, Rumlow handed the briefcase in his hand to one of his trusted subordinates and then ran towards the back door.
At this time, Arthur and Captain America and others also successfully arrived at the biological laboratory.
Seeing Sam being chased and scurrying around, Arthur was not ambiguous; his figure instantly disappeared from the spot, and in the next second, all the mercenaries who were still aiming at Sam in the sky were instantly knocked to the ground by an invisible force.
After dealing with these annoying little minions, Arthur rushed into the building.
After searching for a round, Arthur was unable to find any trace of Rumlow, so he informed the others via walkie-talkie.
Just then, Captain America also saw several fully armed mercenaries running out of the back door of the laboratory building.
"I found them! I'm going after them now!"
Upon hearing Captain America's words, just as Arthur was about to speak to stop him, Captain America had already chased after them.
Seeing this, Arthur also secretly thought it was bad and immediately rushed to catch up.
However, Arthur quickly discovered that the crowd he had previously dispersed had, for some unknown reason, gathered again at this moment.
After all, the commotion at the biological laboratory was quite significant, and the surrounding civilians were attracted by the noise and flocked towards the area.
Those mercenaries carrying briefcases also took off their gear and blended into the dense crowd.
For a time, even with Arthur 's speed, it was difficult to find these few people.
Looking at the dense crowd in front of him, Arthur , out of helplessness, could only use Dr. X's mind control to enter the minds of everyone in his line of sight.
Instantly, countless memories surged into Arthur 's mind like a tide.
Facing such a sudden and massive amount of information, Arthur only felt as if his head was about to be torn apart. However, hard work pays off, and Arthur successfully found the whereabouts of the few mercenaries who had carried the briefcases a few seconds ago.
Without any hesitation, Arthur easily and accurately pulled these few people out of the crowd.
Those few people only felt a dizzying sensation before appearing in front of each other.
Seeing the scene before them, the few people knew that they had been targeted by Arthur .
Before they could react, Arthur suddenly appeared in front of them.
As soon as Arthur 's figure appeared, these few people looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Looking at the reactions of the people in front of him, Arthur also laughed, "If you don't have the guts to be a thief, then don't come out and be one."
The few people paid no attention to Arthur 's taunt; the one in the lead directly opened the briefcase and took out the test tube placed inside.
"If you dare to take another step forward, I'll smash this biochemical weapon here. Anyway, there are quite a lot of people here. What do you say, want to try?"
Hearing this person's words, Arthur also wondered if these people had a problem with their brains, daring to threaten him even at this moment.
Arthur ignored them, lifted his foot, and walked forward in their direction.
The person holding the test tube in his hand saw this and could only continue to shout, "Bastard, do you really want to die together?!"
"Ah!"
Saying that, the person made a motion as if to throw the test tube in his hand to the ground, when Arthur immediately entered a state of extreme speed.
In an instant, the person's movements in Arthur 's eyes became like a scene in slow motion.
Arthur walked leisurely with his hands behind his back to the person's front, and Arthur slowly extended his palm and grabbed the bottle of reagent.
The person wanted to struggle but simply could not move.
Then Arthur tied all of them up and immediately rushed in Captain America's direction.
At this moment, Captain America had also successfully intercepted Rumlow, who was desperately trying to escape.
Seeing that he had nowhere to run, Rumlow simply stopped and took off the skull helmet he was wearing.
He then revealed the face beneath his mask.
Looking at the disfigured face burned by the fire, Captain America was momentarily stunned.
Seeing Captain America's expression, Rumlow also sarcastically said, "What, does my current appearance scare the Son of God?"
"Rumlow, stop now. You have nowhere to run, and HYDRA no longer exists. Come with me!"
"Oh, well said. If it were before, I might have obediently followed you, but from the moment you threw a building at me, it was destined that only one of us would remain after today!"
Chapter 83 Arrest
Saying that, Rumlow swung the mechanical armor on his arm and attacked Captain America fiercely.
Captain America knew he had no way to stop Rumlow now, so he quickly dodged Rumlow's attack.
Seeing Captain America dodge, Rumlow sneered repeatedly, "Hahahaha, you coward, don't you dare to go head-to-head with me? If you are really that kind of person, you are not worthy of being a powerful hero!"
Facing Rumlow's taunts, Captain America ignored him and ran straight to the other side, "I am not a coward, I just don't want to hurt you. Since you are so stubborn, then I won't be polite!"
Hearing Captain America's words, Rumlow smiled, "Is that so? Then let's see!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rumlow instantly accelerated his offensive.
In Rumlow's view, he now had an absolute advantage; his mechanical armor could completely crush anyone. If Captain America dared to confront him head-on, then Captain America would definitely be beaten to death by him.
However, the reality was not as Rumlow had imagined; Captain America actually chose to dodge.
"Damn it!" Seeing Captain America dodging his attack again, Rumlow was instantly furious.
Just then, Captain America found a weakness that Rumlow exposed by focusing too much on offense, and immediately swung his fist, hitting Rumlow hard on his body.
Captain America's fist landed on Rumlow's chest, instantly breaking Rumlow's ribs.
Although Rumlow was wearing an exoskeleton armor, he was, after all, facing an existence like Captain America.
Hit in the chest, Rumlow's body immediately flew backward, finally falling to the ground.
Looking at the fallen Rumlow, Captain America thought the battle was over, but Rumlow struggled and got back up.
Rumlow stood up, clutching his painful chest. His face had turned incredibly pale, but Rumlow still did not give up.
Then Rumlow suddenly kicked a car parked by the roadside towards Captain America.
Captain America immediately retreated backward upon seeing this, while also dodging the car Rumlowkicked over.
Seeing the car miss, Rumlow snorted coldly, "Aren't you quite powerful? Why are you scared now?"
"Hmph!" Captain America also snorted coldly, "If I were afraid of you, I wouldn't have come here with you!"
"Since you're not afraid, let's continue!" Rumlow finished speaking and prepared to launch another attack.
"Alright, then I'll accompany you to the end!" Seeing Rumlow's appearance, Captain America knew that the other party was determined to kill him, so he had no choice but to accompany him to the end.
So the two of them engaged in a furious close-quarters combat.
But what Captain America didn't expect was that with the enhancement of the exoskeleton armor, Rumlow's close-combat ability was unexpectedly powerful. Even Captain America was no match for Rumlow and quickly fell into a disadvantage in the hand-to-hand combat with Rumlow.
Not only that, Rumlow's strength was surprisingly great; even Captain America couldn't withstand one of Rumlow's blows.
Captain America's body was sent flying backward the moment he was struck by Rumlow.
So the two of them engaged in a furious close-quarters combat.
As soon as Captain America landed, he immediately got up, his eyes fixed on Rumlow. His face was filled with solemnity, showing his extreme shock and gravity at the moment.
He hadn't expected his body to be blasted dozens of meters away by that single blow.
Looking at Rumlow, who was closing in again, Captain America also decided not to hold back anymore. He knew that if this continued, he would definitely be killed by Rumlow, and he had to find a way to fight back.
Just as Rumlow was about to approach Captain America again, Captain America suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Rumlow's knee hard.
With a crisp "crack!" sound, Rumlow's knee was shattered by Captain America's kick. Rumlow painfully knelt on the ground, clearly in a lot of pain.
"Hmph!"
Captain America snorted coldly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. He raised his leg again and kicked Rumlow's chest hard.
Rumlow quickly dodged sideways. He hadn't expected his previous action to anger Captain America, but Captain America's attack was too fast. While dodging, he didn't pay attention to his footwork and was directly sent flying by Captain America's kick.
Rumlow's body slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Before he could get up, Captain America's fist once again smashed towards Rumlow. With a muffled "thud," this time Rumlow finally couldn't escape Captain America's fist.
"Ah ~!"
As Rumlow let out a miserable scream, Rumlow's body slammed onto the ground again, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. This time, Rumlow was seriously injured.
Rumlow clutched his incredibly painful right arm and stood up from the ground. He looked at Captain America, his eyes filled with hatred.
The power of Captain America's punch was indeed immense. He felt as if his chest had been hammered several times by a sledgehammer, and his internal organs were violently churning.
But even so, Rumlow still struggled to stand up.
Looking at the disheveled Rumlow before him, Captain America's heart was also in turmoil. In a way, during the S.H.I.E.L.D. period, Captain America and Rumlow had a deep friendship, and they had even gone on many missions together.
But ever since Rumlow's identity as a HYDRA Agent was exposed, Captain America had been tracking Rumlow's whereabouts.
As a good-natured person, upon seeing Rumlow's current miserable state, Captain America's inner desire was more to help Rumlow turn over a new leaf.
That was why Captain America had retreated and endured Rumlow's attacks again and again.
However, Captain America still underestimated Rumlow's hatred towards him. Since the two of them really couldn't return to the same front, for the sake of overall safety, Captain America had no choice but to be ruthless.
Seeing Rumlow still attempting to attack him, Captain America rushed forward without hesitation, and with an over-the-shoulder throw, he slammed Rumlow heavily onto the ground again.
Rumlow coughed continuously. He felt a gush of blood erupting from his throat. After enduring this heavy blow, Rumlow no longer had the strength to stand up.
Chapter 84
Seeing Rumlow coughing blood and lying on the ground, Captain America walked over and helped him up.
"Rumlow, as an Agent of HYDRA, I officially declare you arrested!"
After Captain America finished speaking, Rumlow's face showed no fear, but rather a strange curve at the corner of his mouth.
Seeing Rumlow's expression, Captain America instinctively sensed something was wrong, but to find out who was behind this series of conflicts, Captain America patiently asked,
"Who is your buyer this time?"
Rumlow showed no intention of hiding it, instead, he said very frankly, "He recognized you. He is your good brother, Bucky, the one who almost killed Nick Fury before!"
Hearing Rumlow's words, Captain America's face showed disbelief: "What did you say?"
"Pfft~ Cough cough cough~"
After another violent coughing fit, Rumlow continued, "You know, Bucky remembered you. I was right there, and he was so sad, crying non-stop, but very quickly they started brainwashing him again!"
"At that time, he even called out to me and told me to tell Rogers something. He said, when it's your time to go, you have to go, just like now, I'm taking you with me!"
As soon as Rumlow finished speaking, he pressed the button in his hand.
Before this operation began, Rumlow, to prevent being stopped by Captain America and others, had installed powerful explosives on everyone, including himself, enough to destroy a building.
It was only when Captain America's attention was fully drawn to Bucky's message that Rumlow seized the opportunity to take the detonator out of his pocket.
As the fuse was lit, the explosives on Rumlow instantly detonated, and a high temperature capable of melting metal instantly spread out from Rumlow's body as its center.
Captain America immediately reacted and rolled to the side.
Just as the aftermath of the explosion was about to engulf Captain America, Arthur , who had entered a state of extreme speed, arrived just in time.
Looking at the critical scene before him, Arthur sighed inwardly, thinking that if he had arrived a step later, all would have been lost.
However, Arthur also didn't have much time left. Although Arthur had entered a state of extreme speed, countless onlookers were all at the center of the explosion.
Moreover, there were many civilians in the surrounding buildings, and even Arthur couldn't transfer so many people to a safe area in such a short time.
Since he couldn't move the crowd, Arthur had to find a way to contain the aftermath of the explosion within a very small area.
Thinking of this, Arthur had no choice but to use another speed technique, flying towards the center of the explosion.
Arthur suddenly stopped a few meters away from Rumlow.
Because at this moment, Arthur also discovered that in such a short time, the original scope of the explosion's center had expanded. The aftermath of the explosion had already destroyed most of the surrounding houses and was still expanding.
Although Arthur had tried his best to minimize the threat posed by the explosion, the expansion was still continuing.
Arthur quickly came to Captain America, who was closest to the explosion's center, grabbed him by the shoulder, and then threw him far away.
Afterward, Arthur fully activated the magnetic field in the area, controlling countless pieces of metal to fall on the edge of the explosion's center.
Soon, the explosion's aftermath was firmly enveloped by these metals, layer upon layer.
By the time all of this was done, Arthur was already exhausted and uncontrollably exited the extreme speed state.
When the surrounding onlookers reacted, they saw a cube made entirely of metal appear out of thin air before their eyes.
Immediately after, a rumbling sound came from within, and a violent tremor swept from beneath everyone's feet.
The already strangely shaped metal cube was also subjected to a violent impact after this tremor, undergoing severe deformation.
The surfaces of these metals were also torn with cracks, and metal constantly fell off.
After repairing these scars, the outer wall of the metal cube also began to gradually collapse downwards, revealing the truth inside.
Looking at the scene before him and Arthur standing not far away, Captain America suddenly realized that if it hadn't been for Arthur 's timely rescue, an irreversible and terrifying consequence might have already occurred.
"Arthur , you really arrived in time. How are things on your end?"
Hearing Captain America's voice, Arthur turned his head and said, "Don't worry, the biochemical weapon has been retrieved by me."
Saying that, Arthur shook the blue reagent bottle in his hand towards Captain America.
Seeing this, Captain America let out a long sigh.
He had indeed been a bit worried just now, after all, this kind of biochemical weapon was too dangerous. If Arthur couldn't deal with it in the shortest possible time, then they would truly suffer an extremely severe blow.
"Arthur , thank you for this time." Captain America also came to Arthur 's side, patted his shoulder, and said sincerely.
To this, Arthur just smiled sheepishly, "It's nothing, this is what I should do. Since the mission is complete, let's hurry back."
Just as the two were about to leave after their successful mission, a violent explosion sound came from not far away.
Arthur turned his head sharply. That was the direction Sam and Black Widow were pursuing.
Seeing this, Arthur and Captain America immediately rushed over there.
By the time Arthur and Captain America arrived, they could only see a scene of devastation.
"Natasha! Sam!"
After scanning around and not seeing Black Widow and Sam, both of their hearts sank.
Just then, their ears heard a familiar voice: "Arthur , Rogers!"
Following the sound, the two also saw a figure in the distance, it was Natasha.
After clearly seeing Natasha's face, Arthur and Captain America also breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately, Sam also crawled out from a pile of rubble.
Just now, while the two were chasing the last escaping mercenary, they were accidentally led to detonate the powerful explosives he carried. However, fortunately, the two discovered it in time and immediately hid in a safe location, otherwise, they would have likely been in grave danger.
Chapter 85: Sokovia Accords
After successfully retrieving the biological weapon, Captain America and his team returned to S.W.O.R.D. without incident, handing the biological weapon over to Nick Fury.
At the same time, Captain America also told Nick Fury about what Rumlow had said to him.
After listening to Captain America, Nick Fury stated that he would use S.W.O.R.D.'s full power to help Captain America gather information.
Additionally, many pieces of information, audio, and data concerning the battle of Sokovia were secretly intercepted and cleared by S.W.O.R.D. under Nick Fury's instruction.
However, with the massive casualties caused by Captain America and his team's capture of Rumlow in Romania, and the sudden disappearance of the entire city of Sokovia from the World map, even with S.W.O.R.D.'s round-the-clock blockade, it was difficult to cover all bases, and information continued to leak.
At that time, there were several tour groups near Sokovia, and the moment Sokovia exploded, it was recorded and released on the internet.
Even though S.W.O.R.D. immediately deleted the video and found the uploader's ID address, deleting the original file, the video was downloaded by countless netizens the moment it was released online.
It was impossible for S.W.O.R.D. to find every single person who downloaded the video in a short amount of time, so they could only have the backpacker who released the video come forward and claim that the video was faked by him.
S.W.O.R.D.'s actions, from a certain perspective, seemed more like burying one's head in the sand; the more the official tried to erase all traces of the incident, the more likely it was to reveal clues.
However, Arthur and the others were unconcerned about all of this; after the battle of Sokovia, everyone's morale was somewhat impacted.
At this moment, the Avengers were already estranged, seemingly united as always, but each person harbored their own thoughts in secret.
Especially the escalating conflict between Tony and Captain America, even when apprehending a street robber, the two would often come to blows due to disagreements.
Although the Avengers heroes did not fall apart due to Ultron's little schemes while Ultron was still around, once such a massive external threat as Ultron disappeared, the conflicts among the Avengersimmediately became apparent.
For a long time, to prevent Tony and Captain America from quarreling the moment they met, Nick Furykept Captain America by his side, serving as an instructor to constantly train new Agents for S.W.O.R.D..
At the same time, political leaders from various countries also strongly pressured Nick Fury and others; the losses incurred by the chaotic battles of Hulk, Tony, and Thor in the city had already cast a deep shadow over various nations.
Currently, the Avengers and others are assessed internationally as a threat surpassing nuclear bombs.
With Ultron's defeat, Thor and Hulk also disappeared from everyone's sight.
It was as if two nuclear bombs that could explode at any time were lost outside, and no one could rest easy, as no one knew if one day these two nuclear bombs would suddenly explode at their doorstep.
Facing the current situation, Nick Fury had no choice but to seek help from Arthur .
Regarding Arthur 's identity, upon returning to S.W.O.R.D., Arthur immediately found Nick Fury and confessed.
Therefore, Nick Fury could only turn to Arthur for the current stalemate.
As soon as he arrived at S.W.O.R.D., Arthur saw vehicles belonging to Stark Industries constantly entering and exiting.
Soon, Arthur saw Pietro approaching.
After the life-and-death battle with Ultron, the relationship between Pietro and Arthur had once again become close.
"Nick Fury is waiting for you in the conference room."
"Mm."
As soon as Arthur entered the conference room, he saw that it was already in disarray.
Files and documents were piled up everywhere, and S.W.O.R.D. Agents were busy and flustered all around.
Seeing Arthur arrive, Nick Fury immediately came forward and said straightforwardly, "Arthur , I have something I need to discuss with you."
Hearing this, Arthur 's face showed confusion; at a time like this, there was still something that needed his consultation, which was completely unlike Nick Fury's usual style.
With a mind full of questions, Arthur followed Nick Fury to the latter's office.
As soon as Arthur pulled out a chair and sat down, Nick Fury handed a thick stack of files to Arthur .
Looking at the name on the file, Arthur quickly understood.
The Sokovia Accords.
"What are your thoughts on this matter?"
"Do you want me to tell you the truth?"
Nick Fury simply nodded.
Arthur tossed the Sokovia Accords onto the desk, then pondered for a moment and said, "While this agreement can alleviate the concerns of political leaders to some extent, it is definitely not a joyous occasion for the Avengers."
"Given the current state among everyone, this agreement will be the last straw that breaks the camel's back."
After listening to Arthur , Nick Fury first sighed, then helplessly said, "This matter has already been approved by Congress and jointly voted on by the United Nations."
Upon hearing this, Arthur did not show much shock, but a hint of mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Afterward, he casually chatted with Nick Fury about the recent situation of Captain America and the others, and then Arthur left S.W.O.R.D..
After leaving S.W.O.R.D., Arthur first gave Wanda some instructions, then checked if Wanda had been harmed again by Chaos Magic.
After a thorough check confirmed she was fine, Arthur felt relieved.
Just then, Happy knocked on Arthur 's doorbell.
As soon as Arthur saw Happy, he knew the purpose of his visit.
Without further delay, Arthur followed Happy into the car.
Then, Arthur and Happy chatted intermittently in the car.
However, from Happy's words, Arthur seemed to sense something.
As Tony's long-time right-hand man, Happy had inherited most of Tony's cynical demeanor.
Every time Arthur saw Happy, he was always smiling and joking, but this time, Happy didn't even crack a smile along the way.
It seemed this meeting was unusual.
Soon, Happy drove the car into Stark Tower.
Led by Happy, Arthur quickly arrived at a transparent conference room, surrounded by LCD screens.
Looking at the LCD screens on the walls, they continuously displayed combat footage of Arthur and other superheroes maintaining security around the World.
Seeing this, Arthur immediately knew what the content of this meeting was.
Upon seeing Arthur arrive, Tony first motioned for everyone to sit down, then distributed a stack of files to each person.
Just as everyone was looking at the files in front of them with confusion, a voice sounded.
Chapter 86
Immediately, the newly appointed Minister of Defense, who was sitting in the corner of the conference room, stood up and spoke.
"These are combat images from your missions outside. While it's true that you have played an indispensable role in maintaining our social stability, the power you possess has also caused indelible harm to innocent passersby."
Hearing this, Captain America, who had been silent, also spoke up and asked.
"So, what does this mean?"
With that, Captain America heavily threw the Sokovia Accords in his hand onto the table.
"Given that you have repeatedly and indirectly caused casualties among innocent civilians during previous peacekeeping missions, most countries in the World hope that you can be bound by official government regulations."
Upon hearing this, Captain America's face immediately darkened. He stood up and confronted him.
"Don't you know that from the day I became a super soldier, I began to shoulder the responsibility of protecting humanity? More than seventy years have passed since then. I'm older than you are. Now you're telling me you want to restrain us and push all these casualties onto us?"
Looking at Captain America, who was radiating hostility, the Minister of Defense dared not breathe for a moment. After all, aside from his position, he was just an ordinary elderly man in front of Captain America. If Captain America were to punch him in a fit of rage, he wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Just as the atmosphere in the conference room fell into a stalemate, Tony also quickly stood up and came between Captain America and the Minister of Defense.
"This doesn't mean we'll be bound forever. We can agree on the surface for now, and with the passage of time, we'll eventually break free from this system."
Tony came to Captain America's ear and whispered.
Hearing Tony's words, Captain America looked incredulous. Among their group, Tony was arguably the one who valued freedom the most.
Yet, facing such harsh terms, Tony not only didn't refuse but actually agreed. Captain America didn't need to think much to guess that Tony had probably secretly reached some kind of agreement with the government behind their backs.
Thinking of this, Captain America stared intently into Tony's eyes and gritted his teeth, saying, "You've made decisions for everyone behind our backs again!"
Seeing that his little scheme was exposed so quickly by Captain America, Tony showed a guilty expression, but he quickly composed himself and turned to the crowd, saying.
"This agreement can better guarantee the existence of the Avengers..."
"But that absolutely doesn't mean we're willing to stay in a cage!"
Before Tony could continue to brainwash everyone, Captain America rudely interrupted him.
Tony also showed an angry expression at this.
"Can you stop being so stubborn? Do you know how much trouble this will cause me!"
"Oh, really? Aren't you doing all this just for your own benefit? You've always been so selfish, Tony!"
Seeing that the negotiation could no longer proceed, Captain America looked at Tony with resentment, while Tony looked helpless.
"This is your Avengers' own business, it has nothing to do with me!" the Minister of Defense said, "Tony, you just need to tell me your final decision. I have many other things to deal with, so I'll be leaving first!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Minister of Defense scurried away.
After watching the Minister of Defense leave in a hurry, the remaining people also came to Tony and Captain America's sides, wanting to ease the tense atmosphere between the two.
But this time, Captain America did not choose to rationally back down as he usually would. He remained unyielding, like an enraged Hulk.
In desperation, Arthur had no choice but to speak.
"Now that the Sokovia Accords have become an unchangeable fact, instead of being indecisive here, why don't we sit down properly and vote on whether to support this agreement."
Hearing Arthur 's words, everyone nodded in agreement.
Although he knew this move would accelerate the dissolution of the Avengers, Arthur had no choice. The Sokovia Accords were now laid out before everyone, unavoidable. It was better for Arthur to directly divide the Avengers into two factions.
Putting all the cards on the table was better than everyone harboring ulterior motives in secret.
"Then what's your take on it?"
As soon as Black Widow spoke, she instantly attracted everyone's attention. Everyone was waiting for Arthur 's answer.
Looking at everyone's piercing gazes, Arthur first shrugged helplessly, then spoke calmly.
"From my perspective, I don't think this is a reasonable agreement either, but there's nothing we can do. Our abilities are indeed lethal to most civilians. I think we really should have a formal, unified schedule. Moreover, my company is under the direct jurisdiction of the government, and I can't break free."
Upon hearing this, Captain America's face showed a clear hint of disappointment. He had originally hoped that Arthur would stand on his side, but he hadn't expected Arthur to actually side with Tony.
"In that case, there's nothing more for us to say."
With that, Captain America picked up his shield and prepared to leave.
Arthur quickly called out to Captain America at this moment.
"What I just said was only about me; it doesn't represent all of you. If you truly don't want to be bound by this system, I support you."
Hearing this, Captain America's lips curved into an imperceptible smile, and then he left the conference room directly.
A long time passed after this incident. The superheroes who, led by Captain America, were unwilling to sign the Sokovia Accords gradually faded into obscurity, disappearing from public view.
Meanwhile, those who, led by Tony, were willing to sign the agreement were incorporated into the military's structure, directly commanded by the Minister of Defense.
However, in an unknown corner, a conspiracy targeting the Avengers was secretly brewing.
Regarding the civilians who lost their lives in the battles where superheroes fought criminals, the current King of Wakanda also made a statement at the United Nations.
And he was also going to hold a large speech in New York.
After receiving the message, Black Widow was also entrusted by Nick Fury to serve as a bodyguard at the scene to maintain security around the venue.
Chapter 87 United Nations General Assembly
For a long time after that, Black Widow was busy setting up the venue for the speech.
Due to the public pressure brought by the Sokovia incident, the speech by the King of Wakandaregarding the actions of the Avengers superheroes became the focus of global attention.
Immediately, the attention of countless media and the public was concentrated in Vienna.
This change also increased the workload of Black Widow and S.W.O.R.D. Facing the surge in incoming population, even with careful scrutiny by immigration, it was inevitable that some lawbreakers would slip through.
Moreover, without the support of Captain America and others, Black Widow and S.W.O.R.D. were struggling to cope.
Tony and others were also powerless to deal with the chaotic situation because they had not received authorization from the Minister of Defense.
For a moment, Tony felt a hint of regret, but soon, one person appeared who completely solidified Tony's determination to maintain the Sokovia Accords.
With nothing to do, Tony returned to his alma mater, MIT, to give a speech and establish a foundation to fund student inventions and creations.
Looking at the countless hopeful eyes in the audience, Tony also felt a joy he had never experienced when selling weapons.
Seeing the vibrant lives before him, like flowers yearning for dew, budding and ready to bloom, Tonydecided he must give them a peaceful World.
Just as Tony perfectly concluded his speech to a round of applause, Tony met a college teacher also waiting for the elevator as he was leaving.
Seeing Tony walk towards him, the teacher did not ask for an autograph like other students and faculty, but merely glanced at Tony indifferently before speaking.
"You've truly done something wonderful for the students."
"Yes, these are all things I should do."
As he spoke, a smug smile appeared on Tony's face.
In contrast, the teacher's expression remained solemn after hearing Tony's words.
"You know, a person's generosity is often proportional to their inner guilt. As long as you have money, even if you make a mistake, it doesn't matter; you will soon be forgiven by those who accept your generosity, right?"
Hearing this, Tony's mouth twitched slightly, and then he calmly pressed the button to wait for the elevator.
Tony knew that the other person was clearly waiting for him specifically, and the words just now were meant for him.
During the brief silence, the teacher suddenly plunged her hand into her handbag and rummaged through it in front of Tony.
Seeing this, Tony quickly reached out and firmly held down the hand the other person was trying to pull out of the handbag.
But Tony quickly realized he had overthought it; the other person had no intention of harming him.
"I'm sorry, that's just an occupational hazard of mine."
With that, Tony sheepishly withdrew his hand.
"I'm not a teacher at this institute. I work in the Human Resources Department of the State Department. To you, such a job must be very boring, right?"
"Yes, I know it's boring, but with this job, I can support my son, and I'm very proud to have such a son."
"But, all of that ceased to exist because of you."
As she spoke, she took out a photo of her son and pressed it heavily against Tony's chest.
"You killed him, in Sokovia, your battle killed him, but none of that means anything to you. You think you're fighting for us, don't you? No, you're just fighting for yourself."
Hearing the woman's bitter complaints, Tony fell into a fit of self-reproach. Indeed, a large part of the reason Sokovia disappeared was because Tony himself was too headstrong and created Ultron.
Just as Tony was about to say something, a familiar voice echoed from the other end of the corridor.
"Madam, you can't say that."
Both looked over and saw that the speaker was Arthur .
After clearly seeing Arthur 's face, the woman sneered.
"In your kind of people's eyes, our lives as ordinary citizens are so insignificant, aren't they!"
Seeing the woman's emotions grow more agitated, Tony quickly pulled her back.
In response, Arthur continued, "Madam, I deeply sympathize with your experience, but you cannot blame all the faults on us. Since you work in the State Department, you should know that to maintain peace, sometimes we have no choice but to take drastic actions, such as war!"
"Is there any war in the World that has no casualties! Have you ever thought that during the New Yorkincident, we also faced the Iron army from deep space with our flesh and blood!"
"Before you stand here and loudly accuse us, have you not considered why you are still able to stand here after the New York incident, the rise of HYDRA, and the Sokovia incident!"
Even Tony had not expected the usually gentle Arthur to speak such harsh words at this moment.
But clearly, Arthur 's words struck the woman like a hammer, and for a moment, she couldn't utter another word.
Seeing this, Arthur sighed slightly, then directly pulled Tony away, leaving the woman standing alone.
"What's wrong with you?"
Facing Arthur 's unusual behavior, Tony asked with a frown.
Hearing Tony's question, Arthur shook his head.
Seeing Arthur 's expression, Tony had no choice but to put his doubts aside.
After all, Arthur had matured a lot now. Although he sometimes still made some out-of-line moves, Tony knew that Arthur definitely had his reasons for doing so.
And Arthur ignored Tony, turning and walking away into the distance.
Soon, the two returned to the Stark Industries Building. All the Avengers were there except for Thorand Hulk.
Upon seeing Tony and Arthur arrive, Vision spoke, "According to official statistics, since Mr. Starkrevealed his identity as Iron Man, the global rate of superhuman crime has increased exponentially, and at the same time, the probability of events that could destroy Earth has also surged."
Hearing this, Captain America, who had always been at odds with Tony, asked coldly,
"Are you saying this is all our fault?"