48 Chapter 48: G**** S****
Chapter 48: G**** S****
Mystique was about to pursue when two crimson lasers whizzed by her. She quickly dodged, and as Cyclops was ready to attack again with his optic blasts, but several large stones came crashing towards him from the fortress.
Jean Grey used her telekinesis to move the stones aside. The battle between the two sides intensified, with neither the Brotherhood nor the X-Men gaining the upper hand. The X-Men were struggling to breach the steel fortress.
At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury watched the battle in Manhattan on a large screen while angrily berating someone on the phone. "Launch missiles? Are you out of your mind? That's Magneto! Are you planning to give him weapons?"
"A bunch of idiots," Nick Fury muttered as he hung up the phone. He then turned to his deputy, Maria Hill, and asked, "Has the tech department figured out the purpose of Magneto's device? Any progress on the analysis?"
Maria Hill replied, "No, they've only speculated that the device is somehow related to magnetism."
"What's the point of their analysis?" Fury cursed. At that moment, an excited employee shouted, "Director, I know what the device does. It can transform ordinary people into mutants."
"Transform ordinary people into mutants?" Nick Fury's expression changed, and he skeptically asked, "How do you know?"
"They're broadcasting it live on Tiktok & Daily Bugle."
The employee raised their phone, and news anchor Roxanne was reporting live, "Magneto has developed a device that can transform ordinary people into mutants. That's his goal tonight—to transform everyone in Manhattan into mutants. The problem is, the device has never been used before, and nobody knows if it will work or if there will be any side effects. If it fails, you could end up as a pile of goo. I'm not exaggerating; genetic breakdown is a real possibility. This information comes from an anonymous source, and we are sharing it with you first. Daily Bugle, you can always trust us."
Nick Fury's face turned grim, not just because of news but also because of the source of this intelligence.
He was Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the world's top intelligence agency, and here he was, having to gather crucial information from Daily Bugle. If word got out, people would be laughing at him. How embarrassing!
"The intelligence department is a bunch of useless idiots," Fury cursed and then shouted at an employee who was waiting for praise, "Using tiktok during work hours? You're docked three months' salary. Now get back to work."
The employee was dumbfounded. "But I provided valuable intelligence!"
Ignoring the poor employee, Nick Fury pondered for a moment and then instructed Hill, "Tell Barton and the others to speed up and reach the battlefield as soon as possible. We must stop Magneto no matter what. Also, have the military deploy fighter jets to hover around Manhattan. If Magneto activates the device, immediately launch missiles at Times Square. At that point, he might not be able to control the missiles."
Hill reminded him, "Magneto might be prepared for that."
"Regardless of his preparation, we must try," Nick Fury said. "Now it's up to Barton, Coulson, the X-Men, and, um, that Spider kid."
Hesitating for a moment, Hill said, "The Ghost Rider should come out to fight Magneto, just like last time."
"I've sent Natasha to find him, but nobody knows if he will intervene. We can't rely solely on him," Fury sighed, his conviction to assemble a team of Avengers growing stronger. S.H.I.E.L.D. needed a special team.
"Speaking of which, Logan would be perfect for the Avengers," Nick Fury thought to himself. He had fought alongside Logan during the Vietnam War, although Logan no longer remembered.
Roxanne's report quickly spread throughout Manhattan via Daily Bugle. The citizens were terrified and began fleeing. They didn't want to become mutants, and Magneto's unreliable device only added to their fear.
Unfortunately, the Brotherhood was prepared. The city's transportation was jammed, and even the steel bridge faced problems, leaving many people stranded on the roads.
"Iron Man is captured and can't escape. We're doomed now."
"I don't want to become a mutant."
Fear and despair spread through Manhattan. Andrew nodded in satisfaction, confident that when the radiation wave appeared in the sky, many would be willing to trade their souls for safety.
The truth was always a double-edged sword.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Andrew sensed something and turned his head to look down the street. There was a car accident, and someone was trapped inside the car, crying desperately for help.
Suddenly, a masked woman in a hoodie jumped from the second floor to the car. She forcefully pulled the entire car door off and dropped it. Without waiting for the owner to say anything, she shot a web towards a nearby sign and swiftly departed, leaving the onlookers astonished. How did Spider-Man become a woman?
The spider-themed heroine was none other than Gwen Stacy, also known as Spider-Woman. Instead of getting involved in the battle at Times Square, she had come outside to save people. It's worth mentioning that her web-shooters were from the Oscorp Corporation (stolen).
"Gwen may appear quiet, but she's filled with a spirit of adventure, or you could say a spirit of recklessness," Andrew shook his head, not paying much attention. With him around, Gwen wouldn't really be in danger.
Meanwhile, in a building near Times Square, Psylocke finished watching the content on Daily Bugle and couldn't help but comment, "Has Magneto lost his mind? How can someone come up with such a terrible idea? Well, it's not my problem. I better get out of here quickly."
Just then, Psylocke's phone rang, and when she answered, a woman's voice came from the other end, "Is this Psylocke?"
Psylocke replied, "Yes, I don't care how you got my number, but I have one question for you: Do you have enough money? My fee is quite high."
"I am Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries," Pepper said. "Psylocke, your number was given to me by J.A.R.V.I.S. It tracked you to Times Square, and I hope you can help me rescue Tony."
"It won't be easy to rescue Tony Stark from Magneto's hands," Psylocke responded, looking out the window. She grinned and said, "It'll cost you."
Pepper didn't hesitate and said firmly, "If you can bring Tony back, I will pay you $10 million. And if he's completely unharmed, I'll double the reward."
"Wow, you truly deserve to be the woman behind Iron Man. You're generous," Psylocke chuckled. "Don't worry; I guarantee you'll meet a living Tony Stark."
"Good. J.A.R.V.I.S. will assist you, Psylocke. If you can bring Tony back, you'll have my friendship," Pepper said. "And my friendship is valuable."
"I don't like making friends, but I like money," Psylocke replied.
After hanging up the phone, Psylocke changed into a different set of clothes in her car—a bold outfit that accentuated her beautiful figure with a high-slit bodysuit. She didn't bring anything else, not even her katana. She then jumped onto a high building, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Isn't that guy coming?" atop a tall tower, Magneto muttered, annoyed that Andrew hadn't shown up yet. He shouted below, "Let's get started."
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