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Chapter 612: Civil War (1)
With Mandarin defeated by Tony and Batman, who were wearing brand new armor, and the Ten Rings stripped away, the war finally saw the dawn of victory.
"Red Skull, you will face judgment by the International Court for crimes against humanity!" A group of people led Red Skull out of the secret base, their gazes cold, their faces filled with rage and resentment.
Red Skull's chilling blood-red head lifted slightly as he looked at the fully armed symbiote soldiers and the array of superheroes around him, a corner of his mouth curving into a deeply mocking smirk.
"Cut off one head, and two more shall grow. How can you be sure that the court's judges aren't my people?" Red Skull looked at everyone with a sarcastic gaze.
He didn't seem flustered at all.
The scarred Captain America said in a deep voice, "Every judge is carefully selected; you couldn't possibly control all of them beforehand."
"Then how can you be sure that the judges will sentence me to death? Are you certain the politicians behind the court will sentence me to death? No, not only will they not, but they will treat me with reverence, attempting to extract more knowledge, intelligence, and technology from my lips."
Red Skull tilted his head. "I survived for eighty years in the cosmos in a special form... Eighty years, Steve! I know far, far more than you do! They can't bear to kill me!"
"On the contrary, they will deal with me closely... Of course, publicly, they will announce that they have executed me, a heinous criminal."
Red Skull revealed a deeply sarcastic expression.
It was realistic, and the most likely scenario to unfold.
Many criminals, once caught, would be thrown into laughable prisons by the authorities, under the guise of refusing private enforcement, and some heroes who upheld justice actually believed it.
Once these supercriminals summarized their experiences and learned their lessons, devising new methods of crime, they would immediately break out of prison.
Did official agencies really think they were fools? They couldn't kill the superpowered criminals in prison, yet they couldn't deal with high-intelligence criminals with weak combat ability?
The truth was as Red Skull stated: every supercriminal was an alternative "wealth," and official agencies couldn't bear to kill them.
Most importantly, if they killed off supercriminals, who would deal with the superheroes who refused to be controlled by them?
This was the reality, a fact that some law-abiding superheroes had to accept, leaving them to tirelessly rush about, catching and releasing, releasing and catching, in an endless cycle...
"Let me give you foolish children a piece of advice: no matter what touches politics, right and wrong, or emotions, cease to matter. Interests are paramount."
"And those who can deal with you superheroes are themselves a massive living asset."
"You are far from truly ruthless characters."
Red Skull's expression was a twisted smirk, muscles twitching on his grotesque face. He slightly raised his chin, and next to him, a computer suddenly activated, a booming voice emanating from every machine.
"...Upon deliberation, we firmly believe that the existence of superheroes not only provides no benefit to society and the people but instead causes immense disaster... They refuse our supervision and command, acting solely on their personal will, which is an utterly preposterous notion in modern society..."
A senior council member spoke eloquently into the camera, then put forth his proposal: "The Superhero Registration Act! Yes, this is the consensus of the Global Security Council. Every human possessing superpowers should register their personal information, including their abilities, real names, and home addresses..."
All the heroes' expressions changed, each displaying a different look.
Red Skull let out a chilling laugh as soldiers escorted him onto a transport plane, disappearing from everyone's sight.
The heroes remaining at the scene exchanged glances, cautiously observing the vastly different expressions on their comrades' faces.
"This council member is also a Hydra remnant," Batman said in a hoarse voice.
"Perhaps, perhaps not, but does it matter?" Tony had Jarvis connect to the live broadcast, his expression shifting as he watched the screen.
"Then we cannot let Red Skull succeed; this act absolutely cannot pass," Batman stated.
"Whoa, buddy, you have to understand, even if this council member really is a Hydra remnant, he's just a chess piece. This major act has been approved by the High Council—that's the key! They believe we should be subject to comprehensive surveillance!"
Batman whipped his cape, his face behind the cowl utterly cold. "Then we'll find a way to overturn this act through legal means."
The many heroes exchanged glances, then, after a moment of hesitation, dispersed.
Superman's massive cape fluttered in the wind, his strong, two-meter-plus body standing motionless.
Diana hesitated and said, "Clark, what should we do?"
"This act absolutely cannot pass; I will never accept such an unreasonable thing," Superman said with a serious expression.
"But Red Skull's words are very concerning; he knew about the implementation of this act..."
"At the very least, we have defeated Red Skull and once again protected the peace of Earth. As long as we strictly supervise these criminals, everything will be worth it. The issue of the act requires the efforts of all of us. Once it passes, those of us with hidden identities will become illegal individuals."
Superman frowned deeply, somewhat worried. His super brain immediately considered the terrible consequences of this act being implemented.
There would certainly be people who would lean towards accepting the act, such as Tony, who had already revealed his identity. For him, this act would have no impact.
But it wouldn't work for someone like Superman. If he revealed his identity, his adoptive mother Martha would be dead, and countless criminals would go after her.
Diana looked at Superman's back, opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
The heroes dispersed, filled with worry.
Soon, news related to the Superhero Registration Act continued to spread, while the remaining members of Hydra were also undergoing a furious purge. Sporadic skirmishes could no longer affect the overall situation.
Hydra's shadow was gradually eradicated, but the act's influence was wildly fermenting.
Across the entire Earth, public opinion seemed to split overnight. Some opposed, arguing it would severely impact the heroes' private lives. Others supported it, believing that many heroes had already revealed their identities, such as Iron Man, Ant-Man, Captain America, and Diana.
Amidst seemingly innocuous discussions and controversies, a greater undercurrent was surging, with influential figures quietly pushing it forward, attempting to make an already delicate situation more defined.
Whether it turned for the better or worse, it didn't matter.
When Iron Man publicly stepped forward to support the act, everything changed.
As Thor descended upon Earth once more, the situation was pushed to another peak.
(end of chapter)
With Mandarin defeated by Tony and Batman, who were wearing brand new armor, and the Ten Rings stripped away, the war finally saw the dawn of victory.
"Red Skull, you will face judgment by the International Court for crimes against humanity!" A group of people led Red Skull out of the secret base, their gazes cold, their faces filled with rage and resentment.
Red Skull's chilling blood-red head lifted slightly as he looked at the fully armed symbiote soldiers and the array of superheroes around him, a corner of his mouth curving into a deeply mocking smirk.
"Cut off one head, and two more shall grow. How can you be sure that the court's judges aren't my people?" Red Skull looked at everyone with a sarcastic gaze.
He didn't seem flustered at all.
The scarred Captain America said in a deep voice, "Every judge is carefully selected; you couldn't possibly control all of them beforehand."
"Then how can you be sure that the judges will sentence me to death? Are you certain the politicians behind the court will sentence me to death? No, not only will they not, but they will treat me with reverence, attempting to extract more knowledge, intelligence, and technology from my lips."
Red Skull tilted his head. "I survived for eighty years in the cosmos in a special form... Eighty years, Steve! I know far, far more than you do! They can't bear to kill me!"
"On the contrary, they will deal with me closely... Of course, publicly, they will announce that they have executed me, a heinous criminal."
Red Skull revealed a deeply sarcastic expression.
It was realistic, and the most likely scenario to unfold.
Many criminals, once caught, would be thrown into laughable prisons by the authorities, under the guise of refusing private enforcement, and some heroes who upheld justice actually believed it.
Once these supercriminals summarized their experiences and learned their lessons, devising new methods of crime, they would immediately break out of prison.
Did official agencies really think they were fools? They couldn't kill the superpowered criminals in prison, yet they couldn't deal with high-intelligence criminals with weak combat ability?
The truth was as Red Skull stated: every supercriminal was an alternative "wealth," and official agencies couldn't bear to kill them.
Most importantly, if they killed off supercriminals, who would deal with the superheroes who refused to be controlled by them?
This was the reality, a fact that some law-abiding superheroes had to accept, leaving them to tirelessly rush about, catching and releasing, releasing and catching, in an endless cycle...
"Let me give you foolish children a piece of advice: no matter what touches politics, right and wrong, or emotions, cease to matter. Interests are paramount."
"And those who can deal with you superheroes are themselves a massive living asset."
"You are far from truly ruthless characters."
Red Skull's expression was a twisted smirk, muscles twitching on his grotesque face. He slightly raised his chin, and next to him, a computer suddenly activated, a booming voice emanating from every machine.
"...Upon deliberation, we firmly believe that the existence of superheroes not only provides no benefit to society and the people but instead causes immense disaster... They refuse our supervision and command, acting solely on their personal will, which is an utterly preposterous notion in modern society..."
A senior council member spoke eloquently into the camera, then put forth his proposal: "The Superhero Registration Act! Yes, this is the consensus of the Global Security Council. Every human possessing superpowers should register their personal information, including their abilities, real names, and home addresses..."
All the heroes' expressions changed, each displaying a different look.
Red Skull let out a chilling laugh as soldiers escorted him onto a transport plane, disappearing from everyone's sight.
The heroes remaining at the scene exchanged glances, cautiously observing the vastly different expressions on their comrades' faces.
"This council member is also a Hydra remnant," Batman said in a hoarse voice.
"Perhaps, perhaps not, but does it matter?" Tony had Jarvis connect to the live broadcast, his expression shifting as he watched the screen.
"Then we cannot let Red Skull succeed; this act absolutely cannot pass," Batman stated.
"Whoa, buddy, you have to understand, even if this council member really is a Hydra remnant, he's just a chess piece. This major act has been approved by the High Council—that's the key! They believe we should be subject to comprehensive surveillance!"
Batman whipped his cape, his face behind the cowl utterly cold. "Then we'll find a way to overturn this act through legal means."
The many heroes exchanged glances, then, after a moment of hesitation, dispersed.
Superman's massive cape fluttered in the wind, his strong, two-meter-plus body standing motionless.
Diana hesitated and said, "Clark, what should we do?"
"This act absolutely cannot pass; I will never accept such an unreasonable thing," Superman said with a serious expression.
"But Red Skull's words are very concerning; he knew about the implementation of this act..."
"At the very least, we have defeated Red Skull and once again protected the peace of Earth. As long as we strictly supervise these criminals, everything will be worth it. The issue of the act requires the efforts of all of us. Once it passes, those of us with hidden identities will become illegal individuals."
Superman frowned deeply, somewhat worried. His super brain immediately considered the terrible consequences of this act being implemented.
There would certainly be people who would lean towards accepting the act, such as Tony, who had already revealed his identity. For him, this act would have no impact.
But it wouldn't work for someone like Superman. If he revealed his identity, his adoptive mother Martha would be dead, and countless criminals would go after her.
Diana looked at Superman's back, opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
The heroes dispersed, filled with worry.
Soon, news related to the Superhero Registration Act continued to spread, while the remaining members of Hydra were also undergoing a furious purge. Sporadic skirmishes could no longer affect the overall situation.
Hydra's shadow was gradually eradicated, but the act's influence was wildly fermenting.
Across the entire Earth, public opinion seemed to split overnight. Some opposed, arguing it would severely impact the heroes' private lives. Others supported it, believing that many heroes had already revealed their identities, such as Iron Man, Ant-Man, Captain America, and Diana.
Amidst seemingly innocuous discussions and controversies, a greater undercurrent was surging, with influential figures quietly pushing it forward, attempting to make an already delicate situation more defined.
Whether it turned for the better or worse, it didn't matter.
When Iron Man publicly stepped forward to support the act, everything changed.
As Thor descended upon Earth once more, the situation was pushed to another peak.
(end of chapter)
