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## Chapter 631: What Is Your Opinion?
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Tony had always felt he had a firm grasp on reality, possessing intelligence and status far beyond ordinary people. He wanted to control reality, to prevent dire situations from arising, but reality was like a young girl who refused to be humiliated; instead of letting herself be toyed with, she shoulder-threw Tony. If not for God-King Thor ruthlessly beating down a group from the Justice League, the Avengers would have long since been utterly defeated.
"The Registration Act..." Tony ran a hand through his hair, immensely agitated, and let out a long sigh. Being the Secretary of Defense isn't easy... The sensitive Tony noticed that some of the heroes within the Avengers seemed to have grown weary of fighting. Compared to a bitter struggle against the Justice League, they preferred to battle super-criminals.
The sky over Gotham City remained bleak and grey, dark clouds rolling in, the encroaching darkness filling people's hearts with immense irritation.
Inside the Batcave, Batman was meticulously fine-tuning his armor. In this vast, dim cavern, dozens of armors of various types were arrayed, from the most ordinary Bat-suit to the Exoskeleton Armor, Thresher Suit, Fenris Armor... and many other unnamed models.
"Aren't you tired? You do the same thing every day, checking your equipment over and over." Robin drove his Battle Vehicle, rushing in and slamming on the brakes, the friction between the tires and the ground producing an unpleasant burnt smell.
Batman calmly activated the air purifier.
"On the battlefield, only the weapon in your hand is truly reliable; it can save your life." Batman said hoarsely, continuing to look at the Fenris armor in front of him, "Aren't you going to bring your friend out for some fresh air?" He extended a finger and flicked the armor's eye, producing a crisp sound.
"Hahaha, you found that out too..." Robin gave an embarrassed laugh and opened the Batmobile.
"Long time no see, Steve." Batman didn't even lift his head, continuing his work with an indifferent attitude.
Captain America, with one arm missing, exited the Batmobile and quickly surveyed the Batcave, pausing for half a second at the enormous dinosaur model before saying, "We just met half a month ago."
"Someone died at that meeting."
"Not this time."
"That's not for you to decide." Batman closed a large section of the armor's outer shell, let out a long breath, and then turned to look at the unwelcome guest. Bringing an outsider into the Batcave was an incredibly foolish move, and Batman glared at Robin with extreme displeasure.
Robin spread his hands: "Don't worry, no one's watching. I'm always careful about that; it's what you taught me. I just want this damned, pointless war to end. We can't afford any more deaths."
"That's not for you to decide," Batman stared at him.
Robin raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, alright, you can beat me up, but let's finish talking first..."
Batman said nothing more, turning his gaze to the suddenly arrived Captain America. Beneath his calm and indifferent exterior and demeanor, his muscles were already tensed, like a beast poised to strike. He would always remain vigilant of everyone, even his closest comrades-in-arms – in Batman's view, trust and vigilance were always two different things, a distinction that had to be clear. He trusted his comrades, but at the same time, he remained wary and vigilant of powerful allies. The Dark Knight had always been this way; if this was his attitude towards allies, it was even more so for Captain America, who was in the opposing camp. In his opinion, Robin, that idiot, must have been completely deceived by Captain America to do something as foolish as bringing an enemy to their own base of operations. This had nothing to do with stance or original intentions; it was purely a matter of intelligence.
"You can end this meaningless war, Batman. We all have the ability to prevent the war from escalating," Captain America said quickly.
Batman spoke indifferently: "You instigated this war. You've made a mess of everything, and you are the culprit behind all the problems."
"Tony's intentions were good; he wanted to make powerful heroes controllable..."
"That intention is fundamentally wrong! Whether someone is controllable or not is never up to a single person or organization to decide. If Tony says they're controllable, are they? If the Government says they're not, does Tony also say they're not? When every face hidden behind a battlesuit is exposed to the sunlight, that will be a huge disaster. No one will want to be a superhero anymore, because heroes also have families and friends. Not wanting their families and friends to die, all heroes will choose to disappear."
Batman stood opposite Captain America; at one meter eighty-eight, he was noticeably shorter than Captain America. The pair of cold eyes behind his mask were colder than an iceberg.
Captain America's face was etched with pain: "Yes, I know, I've always known the consequences... That's why I came to you. All of this must end. Our remaining power cannot be wasted on internal conflict any longer."
Batman stared at him for a moment, then said indifferently, "What is your opinion?"
"Someone must step forward and take responsibility to end this terrible situation, and I am willing to bear that responsibility," Captain America said solemnly. "No one is more suitable than me. I have prestige, ability, and status; I am both a soldier and a superhero... No one is more suitable than me."
Batman remained silent. Indeed, no one was more suitable than Captain America. In terms of character, status, and reputation, Captain America was worthy of people's trust, and only his sacrifice could bring everything to an end.
However, trust...
Batman subtly frowned. This approach of basing an uncertain future on personal character made him instinctively raise his guard.
"I think..." Captain America had just started speaking when he was interrupted.
Batman's eyes stared intently at him: "You must become a prisoner and a hostage; that's my absolute minimum. As an inside agent, your strength is insufficient; a single bullet could end your life. In the Avengers, your combat power is at the bottom. Anyone can defeat you. This is your only path."
Captain America nodded silently.
Robin cheerfully whistled, but quickly retreated under the cold gaze directed at him, obediently closing his mouth.
"The Avengers lost..." Captain America murmured.
"The origins of your members determined that you would only lose," Batman shook his head. The Avengers were, for the most part, composed of individuals with close ties to the authorities and the military. Not to mention Captain America, Natasha, Tony, and others, the first generation Ant-Man and Wasp were government employees, and the second generation Ant-Man was the first generation Ant-Man's son-in-law... Many people could not escape the shackles of the authorities from the very beginning.
The Justice League, however, was completely different. They all concealed their true identities, which meant that many heroes who rose from the populace, in order to protect themselves and their families and friends from exposure, would tend to join the Justice League. In the long run, the Avengers couldn't outlast the Justice League.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Tony had always felt he had a firm grasp on reality, possessing intelligence and status far beyond ordinary people. He wanted to control reality, to prevent dire situations from arising, but reality was like a young girl who refused to be humiliated; instead of letting herself be toyed with, she shoulder-threw Tony. If not for God-King Thor ruthlessly beating down a group from the Justice League, the Avengers would have long since been utterly defeated.
"The Registration Act..." Tony ran a hand through his hair, immensely agitated, and let out a long sigh. Being the Secretary of Defense isn't easy... The sensitive Tony noticed that some of the heroes within the Avengers seemed to have grown weary of fighting. Compared to a bitter struggle against the Justice League, they preferred to battle super-criminals.
The sky over Gotham City remained bleak and grey, dark clouds rolling in, the encroaching darkness filling people's hearts with immense irritation.
Inside the Batcave, Batman was meticulously fine-tuning his armor. In this vast, dim cavern, dozens of armors of various types were arrayed, from the most ordinary Bat-suit to the Exoskeleton Armor, Thresher Suit, Fenris Armor... and many other unnamed models.
"Aren't you tired? You do the same thing every day, checking your equipment over and over." Robin drove his Battle Vehicle, rushing in and slamming on the brakes, the friction between the tires and the ground producing an unpleasant burnt smell.
Batman calmly activated the air purifier.
"On the battlefield, only the weapon in your hand is truly reliable; it can save your life." Batman said hoarsely, continuing to look at the Fenris armor in front of him, "Aren't you going to bring your friend out for some fresh air?" He extended a finger and flicked the armor's eye, producing a crisp sound.
"Hahaha, you found that out too..." Robin gave an embarrassed laugh and opened the Batmobile.
"Long time no see, Steve." Batman didn't even lift his head, continuing his work with an indifferent attitude.
Captain America, with one arm missing, exited the Batmobile and quickly surveyed the Batcave, pausing for half a second at the enormous dinosaur model before saying, "We just met half a month ago."
"Someone died at that meeting."
"Not this time."
"That's not for you to decide." Batman closed a large section of the armor's outer shell, let out a long breath, and then turned to look at the unwelcome guest. Bringing an outsider into the Batcave was an incredibly foolish move, and Batman glared at Robin with extreme displeasure.
Robin spread his hands: "Don't worry, no one's watching. I'm always careful about that; it's what you taught me. I just want this damned, pointless war to end. We can't afford any more deaths."
"That's not for you to decide," Batman stared at him.
Robin raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, alright, you can beat me up, but let's finish talking first..."
Batman said nothing more, turning his gaze to the suddenly arrived Captain America. Beneath his calm and indifferent exterior and demeanor, his muscles were already tensed, like a beast poised to strike. He would always remain vigilant of everyone, even his closest comrades-in-arms – in Batman's view, trust and vigilance were always two different things, a distinction that had to be clear. He trusted his comrades, but at the same time, he remained wary and vigilant of powerful allies. The Dark Knight had always been this way; if this was his attitude towards allies, it was even more so for Captain America, who was in the opposing camp. In his opinion, Robin, that idiot, must have been completely deceived by Captain America to do something as foolish as bringing an enemy to their own base of operations. This had nothing to do with stance or original intentions; it was purely a matter of intelligence.
"You can end this meaningless war, Batman. We all have the ability to prevent the war from escalating," Captain America said quickly.
Batman spoke indifferently: "You instigated this war. You've made a mess of everything, and you are the culprit behind all the problems."
"Tony's intentions were good; he wanted to make powerful heroes controllable..."
"That intention is fundamentally wrong! Whether someone is controllable or not is never up to a single person or organization to decide. If Tony says they're controllable, are they? If the Government says they're not, does Tony also say they're not? When every face hidden behind a battlesuit is exposed to the sunlight, that will be a huge disaster. No one will want to be a superhero anymore, because heroes also have families and friends. Not wanting their families and friends to die, all heroes will choose to disappear."
Batman stood opposite Captain America; at one meter eighty-eight, he was noticeably shorter than Captain America. The pair of cold eyes behind his mask were colder than an iceberg.
Captain America's face was etched with pain: "Yes, I know, I've always known the consequences... That's why I came to you. All of this must end. Our remaining power cannot be wasted on internal conflict any longer."
Batman stared at him for a moment, then said indifferently, "What is your opinion?"
"Someone must step forward and take responsibility to end this terrible situation, and I am willing to bear that responsibility," Captain America said solemnly. "No one is more suitable than me. I have prestige, ability, and status; I am both a soldier and a superhero... No one is more suitable than me."
Batman remained silent. Indeed, no one was more suitable than Captain America. In terms of character, status, and reputation, Captain America was worthy of people's trust, and only his sacrifice could bring everything to an end.
However, trust...
Batman subtly frowned. This approach of basing an uncertain future on personal character made him instinctively raise his guard.
"I think..." Captain America had just started speaking when he was interrupted.
Batman's eyes stared intently at him: "You must become a prisoner and a hostage; that's my absolute minimum. As an inside agent, your strength is insufficient; a single bullet could end your life. In the Avengers, your combat power is at the bottom. Anyone can defeat you. This is your only path."
Captain America nodded silently.
Robin cheerfully whistled, but quickly retreated under the cold gaze directed at him, obediently closing his mouth.
"The Avengers lost..." Captain America murmured.
"The origins of your members determined that you would only lose," Batman shook his head. The Avengers were, for the most part, composed of individuals with close ties to the authorities and the military. Not to mention Captain America, Natasha, Tony, and others, the first generation Ant-Man and Wasp were government employees, and the second generation Ant-Man was the first generation Ant-Man's son-in-law... Many people could not escape the shackles of the authorities from the very beginning.
The Justice League, however, was completely different. They all concealed their true identities, which meant that many heroes who rose from the populace, in order to protect themselves and their families and friends from exposure, would tend to join the Justice League. In the long run, the Avengers couldn't outlast the Justice League.
(end of chapter)
