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Ch. 306 To Stay or Leave
🕑 Added 2024-02-26 16:00:06 +0000 UTCIn addition to manipulating public opinion on the internet, Russell had another option, which was to cast an extremely wide-reaching mind magic spell.
For example, he could perform a global-scale memory-erasing spell, similar to what Doctor Strange did to help Spider-Man conceal his true identity. Although this would be quite challenging for an ordinary mage, Russell was confident he could achieve results similar to Doctor Strange's.
Of course, all of this depended on his magic mentor, the Ancient One, agreeing to such an action. Otherwise, the Ancient One could potentially counteract his magic at any time.
After giving instructions to No. 3, Russell left his study and returned to the training room. He had made his move, and now it was up to the authorities and S.H.I.E.L.D. to respond.
In the training room, he continued the tedious task of refining his magic and adding new techniques to his divine sun powers.
After waiting for more than half an hour in front of the Justice League headquarters' gates, Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, returned to her car with a resigned expression. She then drove towards the now almost-ruined S.H.I.E.L.D. New York branch.
Although she hadn't seen Russell, she already knew his decision. Time continued to pass.
Over an hour after Natasha drove away, a heavily armed group of New York police officers arrived at the Justice League headquarters. They did not enter the headquarters but established a perimeter in front of it, setting up a police cordon.
As soon as they finished setting up the cordon, a swarm of journalists arrived and was stopped by the police officers.
Although Russell was currently focused on his monotonous magic modifications in the training room, he promptly received a report from No. 3, informing him of the situation at the headquarters gate. However, he chose to ignore the police and journalists outside as long as they didn't attempt to forcibly enter.
More importantly, everything that was happening at the headquarters gate was part of his plan, essentially directed by him.
It wasn't until Kara, dressed as Supergirl, returned to the Justice League headquarters that Russell left the training room and summoned her to the study. Upon her arrival, he briefly inquired about the situation in the Hawaiian Islands and then assigned her a new mission.
"Are you sure about this?" Kara asked with a puzzled expression, wearing a blue skirt and a crop top that revealed her midriff.
"Of course!" Russell replied with a smile. He had given Kara a straightforward task: visit the Octopus Monster Industries headquarters and hold a press conference with Diana. The purpose of the conference was to formally declare war on S.H.I.E.L.D.
Kara, however, furrowed her brows and said, "Diana may not agree to this."
"Don't worry, I discussed it with Diana last night, and she won't object to it," Russell calmly assured her.
"Alright, since you've arranged everything, I'll go," Kara said as she stood up. She was about to head to the Octopus Monster Industries headquarters.
However, just as she was about to reach the study's balcony, she abruptly turned around and looked at Russell, questioning, "Why are you sending me to do this? Wouldn't it be better if you did it yourself?"
"I could do it myself, but the person who just destroyed the U.S. military base in Hawaii wasn't me," Russell replied. "Sending you has a dual advantage. Firstly, you were responsible for the destruction of the U.S. military base in Hawaii, and secondly, people tend to favor women over men. People's instincts lean towards women compared to men."
Russell quickly explained, and while his reasoning sounded logical, Kara had an inkling that it wasn't Russell's true intention. However, she chose not to press further and proceeded to fly towards the Octopus Monster Industries headquarters.
Once Kara had left, Russell retrieved the sling ring from the system space and cast a portal spell. A brilliant golden portal appeared before him. Without hesitation, he stepped through it.
He arrived at the Sanctum Sanctorum's meeting room.
As soon as Russell stepped out of the portal, he saw the Ancient One, who was in the middle of making tea. She looked up at him and said, "You're here, please have a seat."
Russell replied with a simple "Hmm" and took a seat in front of the Ancient One.
"You really can't sit still, can you? You just caused such a commotion right after returning to Earth," the Ancient One shook her head in resignation.
"I've been pushed around enough, and if I don't take any action now, it would be too cowardly," Russell said. "Besides, if I were someone who couldn't stand up for themselves when bullied, you wouldn't have accepted me as your student."
While the Ancient One's words seemed like a reprimand, Russell knew that she was merely reminding him not to go too far. If she had wanted to reprimand him, she would have come to the Justice League headquarters herself.
"These are matters of the real world, and technically, I shouldn't get too involved," the Ancient One continued. "But I want to know if you absolutely have to kill her."
"You've already seen my future with the Time Stone, so there's no need to ask such questions," Russell replied, picking up the cup of hot honey tea the Ancient One had prepared for him.
"She has impressive abilities and can contribute significantly to protecting this world," the Ancient One said. "If you kill her, the responsibilities she once shouldered will fall onto you. Are you truly prepared to bear that burden?"
"I can't say for certain whether I can handle that responsibility, but I do know that I'm a human," Russell said with a serious expression. "If someone threatens Earth, I won't just stand by and do nothing."
Seeing his current demeanor, the Ancient One smiled and shook her head. She didn't say anything more.
After finishing the tea the Ancient One had prepared, Russell cast a portal spell and returned to the study at the Justice League headquarters.
Half an hour later, he watched the news conference on TV where Diana and Kara announced their formal declaration of war on S.H.I.E.L.D. While the true objective was to dismantle S.H.I.E.L.D. entirely and turn it into a historical footnote, Diana and Kara used some righteous-sounding justifications during the press conference, such as S.H.I.E.L.D. colluding with extraterrestrial terrorist forces.
Of course, intelligent individuals could see through these excuses. However, in the wake of the Justice League recent display of power, the reporters at the press conference wisely chose to remain silent.
The United States had always been a nation that feared strength more than it feared righteousness. Compared to other countries, with its relatively short history of a couple of hundred years and its immigrant origins, America had never possessed the so-called national cohesion.
While Americans could be patriotic, their patriotism was primarily directed towards the powerful United States itself. If America lost its current status, those patriotic Americans would quickly become citizens of other nations.
With the Justice League recent actions, the official U.S. government had gained a clear understanding of the organization's power. Furthermore, the Justice League had demonstrated a level of audacity that it had not shown before. Attacking the S.H.I.E.L.D. New York branch while their headquarters was right in New York City and sending people to destroy the U.S. military base in Hawaii were bold moves.
The Justice League had shown that it was no longer willing to remain passive.
After holding the press conference at the Octopus Monster Industries headquarters, Diana and Kara did not stay there. Instead, they immediately returned to the Justice League headquarters.
Once they were back at the headquarters, Russell gathered everyone in the living room. Even Gwen and Peter, who had been called in advance, were present.
"Over the past six months, you all have a better understanding of what the Justice League has gone through, especially since you've been in New York the whole time," Russell began. "Now, at this crucial moment when the Justice League is about to engage in full-scale warfare with S.H.I.E.L.D. and even the U.S. government, I think it's time for me to be completely open with you. When I first established the Justice League, my intention was indeed to create a superhuman team dedicated to protecting the world and its people."
"But plans change, and I have since taken some actions, such as eliminating certain leaders of HYDRA, which have made me the current leader of HYDRA. You have all seen the press conference held by Diana and Kara, so I won't beat around the bush any longer."
"Starting today, the Justice League will no longer be just a superhero team. It will become a private organization that operates independently of any country or organization. Even the once-infamous HYDRA will now be a subsidiary organization of the Justice League."
"In simpler terms, the Justice League will be a true non-governmental organization, and I want to give all of you, who I personally recruited into the Justice League, the opportunity to choose your path."
"If any of you wish to leave the Justice League, I won't stop you. However, I must make one thing clear: by becoming a Justice League that operates independently, there is a significant chance that we will face full-scale attacks from the authorities and the military. If you choose to stay, you will likely become an object of deep resentment within the United States."
"So, whether to stay or leave, you can now consider it carefully."
Russell rarely spoke with such seriousness, but with the Justice League about to go to war with S.H.I.E.L.D. and potentially facing the U.S. government head-on, he felt it was necessary to be upfront with them.
"The Justice League is Hulk's home, and Hulk won't go anywhere. Hulk stays!" Hulk declared as soon as Russell finished speaking.
After saying that, Hulk picked up a metal barrel of liquor from nearby and started pouring it into his mouth, as if he were ready to face the Justice League fate together.
Following Hulk's declaration, Kara chimed in, "I'm the same as Hulk. Besides the Justice League, I have nowhere else to go. I'm staying too." Kara spoke with a serious expression and then took a seat next to Russell.
With Hulk and Kara setting the tone, Skye, Wanda, and Pietro also began to voice their decisions. While they didn't share Hulk and Kara's circumstances, they had never held much affection for the government or S.H.I.E.L.D., so they chose to stay without hesitation.
Finally, only Gwen and Peter remained silent. Russell didn't rush them and patiently awaited their response.
They were the only two native-born Americans within the Justice League. Their upbringing, education, and connections in the United States had given them relatively positive impressions of the U.S. government.
Moreover, unlike individuals like Hulk and Kara, who were essentially lone wolves, Gwen and Peter had families and friends who were also Americans. Making the decision to become outright enemies of the United States wasn't something they could decide on lightly.
Observing their expressions, Russell slowly said, "Your true identities have not been exposed. As long as you don't reveal your superpowers to others in the future, you shouldn't worry about being recognized. Returning to a normal life as regular people will be easier for you than for us. However, if you choose to stay, the U.S. government and S.H.I.E.L.D. will undoubtedly use all means to investigate your true identities. Returning to a normal life will no longer be so straightforward then."
Russell hadn't made up his mind about whether he wanted Peter and Gwen to stay or leave. From his personal perspective, he certainly hoped they would stay. However, it wasn't something he could decide.
Peter had to take care of his lovely aunt May, and Gwen had parents who depended on her. Fully committing to becoming enemies of the United States wasn't a decision they could make immediately.
Upon hearing Russell's words, Gwen and Peter furrowed their brows and displayed conflicted expressions.
After over a minute of silence, Gwen was the first to speak up. "I'll stay."
As soon as Gwen finished, Peter followed suit. "I'll stay too, and I'll willingly tell Aunt May that I'm Spider-Man. I don't want to keep it from her anymore."
"Very well," Russell nodded.
With Gwen and Peter choosing to stay, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although there were still members like Grendel and Godzilla in the Justice League, they were different. Even if they wanted to leave the Justice League, no country would dare to accept them.
Furthermore, Russell wouldn't give them the opportunity to leave the Justice League.
"Now that everyone has agreed to stay, I can confidently proceed with the final plan," Russell said. "From here on, your task is to stay at the Justice League headquarters and await my return."
"If anyone attempts to intrude into the Justice League headquarters, you should know what to do without me having to say it."
Upon hearing this, Diana immediately asked, "Are you planning to face S.H.I.E.L.D. and the authorities alone?"
"The situation has escalated to this point because I left Earth for some time," Russell replied with a smile. "So, of course, I have to clean up this mess on my own."
