"Hill, stay here. Use your clearance to locate that Bucky. I want to dig out whoever's behind him."
"Yes, sir."
Maria Hill nodded and sat down in front of a computer.
In New York, as the news coverage intensified and public opinion grew louder, the situation kept escalating. It all seemed a bit too smooth—almost as if someone behind the scenes was pushing everything forward. Any obstacles that might have existed appeared to have been quietly removed.
"This is definitely a conspiracy."
Skye declared with certainty as she watched the report on TV.
"Agreed. I think their goal is to divide the Avengers and then dismantle them. From the list that's been revealed so far, Tony seems to be leading the charge in supporting the agreement and has already signed it. But Steve and a few others haven't shown up—they must be against it."
Gwen nodded. She also felt that something was off, though she couldn't quite pinpoint what. The Avengers used to have their own personalities but were united overall. Now, they were clearly splitting into two factions. If there wasn't something fishy going on, no one would believe it.
"Why worry so much? It's none of our business. Let them fight it out—nothing serious is going to happen anyway."
Karl, on the other hand, was quite relaxed. He knew no one would die in this conflict, so what was there to worry about?
"You're not worried about yourself?"
Skye asked.
"Why would I be?"
Karl blinked in confusion.
"If even Tony and the others are being forced to sign the Sokovia Accords, what makes you think those people won't come after you and pressure you into signing too?"
Clearly, Skye had already connected the dots from Tony and Steve's situation to their own. After all, they had been involved with the Avengers more than once—who knew whether those people would come knocking on Karl's door?
"They won't come to me so easily, because they simply can't deal with me. When your strength stands above everyone else, people won't dare provoke you—unless they have a death wish."
Karl was confident, and he had the strength to back it up. When even nuclear weapons couldn't kill you, everyone would keep their distance, choosing to ignore you no matter the situation.
"Sure, you're powerful, you're invincible—but what about us? What about George and the others? If they use us to threaten you, what will you do then?"
Skye had already thought that far ahead. Sometimes, those people's methods were even dirtier than criminals'. At least some criminals had a code of honor—but those people were purely self-serving, always trying to seize everything and control it completely.
Karl frowned. Skye was absolutely right. He wasn't worried about the three of them—they had the strength to fight back—but George's family were ordinary people. And George's records were all on file at the NYPD. Finding them would be as easy as drinking water.
Gwen's expression turned grim as well. George's family was a weakness for both her and Karl. If those people really used them as leverage, what could they do?
"If they dare, I don't mind overturning the entire United States and forcing a regime change."
Karl's gaze turned icy. With his current strength, a single energy blast from Bahamut could flatten all the government facilities in Washington, D.C. Wiping out the entire city wouldn't even be difficult.
"No, I need to call my dad. They should leave the country for a while."
Gwen immediately picked up her phone and called George. But George had already thought of this. Having watched all the related news and being well aware of the darkness of politics, he had anticipated this possibility long ago.
Gwen had wanted them to stay at the apartment, but George felt hiding forever wasn't a solution. Even if they stayed inside, they'd still have to go out eventually—what then? They'd be caught just the same.
So he simply bought plane tickets to China, planning to travel there instead.
He knew that no matter how far-reaching the United States' influence was, it couldn't extend there—and that place had no fear of American hegemony.
Karl and Gwen both felt somewhat relieved. As long as George's family wasn't captured, no one could use them as leverage.
In truth, Karl was just like Steve—he would never sign that ridiculous agreement. They were superpowered individuals; even if they didn't become some kind of "Homelander," they certainly wouldn't become obedient dogs. All that talk about regulation and protection ultimately boiled down to restriction and control—seizing this world-level power and keeping it firmly in their own hands. And anyone who dared to object would be crushed. It was all about power.
Just as they were gathered together condemning those people, the bell above the door jingled. A black "bald egg" and a smiling middle-aged man walked in.
"Didn't expect our Mr. Norman to still be sitting here so leisurely. Do you even know the outside world is already in chaos?"
Nick Fury's irritating voice rang out. As always, he wore his signature leather coat, never taking it off no matter how hot it was—you'd think he had built-in air conditioning.
"Well, well—if it isn't the famous Director himself. What brings you to my humble abode? Couldn't stay at the Avengers base anymore?"
Karl teased. By now, everyone knew the Avengers were Avengers in name only. Internally, they had already split into factions—exactly what certain people wanted. If they couldn't control them all, they'd divide them and take hold of the key individuals.
"So you already know…"
Nick Fury dropped the banter and sat down, his expression serious.
"Turn on any news channel these days—this is all they're talking about."
Karl shrugged.
"The Avengers can't belong to anyone. That would go against our original purpose. Some people have overstepped their authority."
Nick Fury's face darkened. His original intention in forming the Avengers was to counter potential threats to the world. They had to remain independent—not controlled by anyone. But now, it was obvious to anyone paying attention that politicians wanted to take control of them.
"And what does that have to do with me?"
Karl didn't bother with small talk.
"You're not worried about yourself? Or your family?"
Nick Fury said. As a seasoned political operator, he didn't even need to think to know this was the most basic tactic.
"What's there to worry about? If anyone dares touch them, I'll blow up the White House and the Pentagon. I'll pin it on the U.S. government no matter who did it. So there's nothing to worry about."
Earlier, Karl had been concerned about George's family, but now that they were safe, nothing else mattered. The three women at home could protect themselves—and even fight back.
Nick Fury's face darkened further at Karl's words. No matter who kidnapped them, it would be blamed on the United States… If anything really happened to George's family, the U.S. government might very well be blasted into the sky the next day.
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