He spread his arms wide, stirring up the emotions of those around him.
"Do you all see it now? This older generation of heroes has long since lost their guts! Ever since Homelander went missing, they've turned into cowards! They've gotten used to hiding under the protective umbrella of Vought International, and they wouldn't dare go out and risk their lives against real monsters!"
These highly provocative words instantly ignited the anger of another group in the hall.
"Shut your stinking mouth! You rookie who only knows how to show off in front of the camera!"
This group consisted of loyal fans who had grown up listening to the legendary stories of Captain America and had joined V.G.D. specifically because they admired the older generation of heroes.
In their eyes, Captain America could not be desecrated.
"If it weren't for Captain and Iron Man holding the line, a piece of trash like you would have been crushed by aliens back at the Battle of New York!! What right do you have to bark here?!"
A hero named Wind Eye, who could control air currents, shoved him hard and shouted sternly.
"What? Want to fight?!" The Fire Fist guy crossed his arms, flames dancing in his palms.
"You?"
An Asian hero stepped forward. With a 'swish,' spikes erupted all over his body, and he said disdainfully: "Who do you think you are? I'm going to teach you today what it means to respect your elders!!"
The argument quickly escalated into verbal abuse, and the heroes in the hall were clearly divided into three groups.
Two groups were yelling at each other, and one group was watching the show.
"Have you had enough?!" Tony roared, his armor instantly covering his body, and his repulsor cannons began to charge.
Suddenly.
"Gi————!!!"
An extremely sharp, high-frequency sound wave exploded without warning in every superhero's communication headset!
"Ah!!!"
"Damn it! My ears!"
The superheroes who had been shoving and shouting a second ago all clutched their ears in pain the next second, their legs giving out as they collapsed to the ground.
After the short, piercing shriek of the sound wave stopped, only heavy panting remained in the hall.
"Click, click, click."
Miss Skynet walked in wearing thin high heels, her face as cold as frost.
Everyone looked up, still shaken.
Seeing Miss Skynet appear, they all understood whose handiwork that had just been.
But no one dared to act out in front of this lady.
"It seems that half an hour of free discussion time has not improved your understanding at all."
Miss Skynet's voice was gentle and moving, but no one dared to underestimate the authority in her words.
In the current V.G.D., Miss Skynet's prestige is second only to the missing Homelander.
She controls the entire operating system of the V.G.D.; everyone's combat record evaluation, salary distribution, and rewards and punishments must all go through her assessment and allocation.
The smart terminals on every hero are her intelligent avatars.
Not only that, many young heroes who suffered trauma found their direction again under Miss Skynet's meticulous psychological counseling.
In their eyes, Miss Skynet is their boss, as well as their mentor and parent.
Miss Skynet's gaze swept over the young heroes who had been causing the most trouble as if it were tangible.
"This is the Vought International Global Defense Bureau, not a fraternity club for you to vent your personal heroics. Every suit of armor you wear, every cent of salary in your accounts, belongs to Vought International."
"You few."
Miss Skynet pointed at the troublemakers.
"Report to Instructor Steve Rogers at Training Ground Five tomorrow. You will undergo a two-week special tactical discipline training assessment."
Miss Skynet's tone left no room for negotiation.
"Those who fail the assessment will have their hero status revoked immediately, and all resources and permissions granted by Vought International will be stripped away. Go back to where you came from."
The hall was deathly silent.
Those troublemakers who were just shouting about fighting across the Atlantic Ocean were now like deflated balls.
Revoke hero status? That meant losing high salaries, mansions, and fans, and turning back into street freaks.
No one dared to speak out in opposition, because they knew Miss Skynet never joked.
They walked dejectedly in front of Steve, heads hanging low, looking exactly like criminals awaiting punishment.
Seeing that the hall had completely quieted down, Miss Skynet continued to announce her orders.
"I know you have all seen the videos on the internet and witnessed the atrocities of the Human Federation."
"But the strategic core of the V.G.D. is not to launch a meaningless charge, but to safeguard the survival of the entire human civilization!"
Miss Skynet pulled up a holographic screen, and a huge map of North America appeared before everyone.
"From this second on, all registered V.G.D. heroes are incorporated into the border defense sequence!"
"President Ellis has issued a presidential decree. The United States will open all ports along the northern and southern borders and the XYZ Country and western coasts to unconditionally receive refugees fleeing the Human Federation!"
Miss Skynet's finger tapped heavily on the map.
"Your mission is to go to the national border! Establish a border defense line! Protect those innocent civilians who cross the border from being hunted down!"
"Any Human Federation armed forces attempting to cross the United States border are to be killed on the spot without warning!"
She scanned the entire room, starting to imitate the tone and mannerisms of Homelander.
"Outside is already hell. And what we must do is make this place a paradise on this Planet!"
"Here, Vought International is the last line of defense for humanity!"
"Redemption proves your value far more than simple killing. Go and prove to the World that Vought International's heroes are their last hope!"
These words reignited a different sense of honor in the young people whose fanaticism had just been doused.
Tony Stark watched Miss Skynet standing on the high platform and narrowed his eyes slightly. He turned his head and exchanged a look with Steve.
Using the miserable state of the Human Federation to highlight the greatness of this "pure land" that is Vought International.
This Miss Skynet's way of thinking is exactly the same as that missing blonde megalomaniac.
The orders were given.
The entire V.G.D. began to operate with terrifying efficiency.
Hundreds of superheroes quickly boarded Nightingale fighter jets heading to various locations, the roar of engines resounding through the night sky.
The fighter jet formations, like a scattered swarm of bees, sped toward the United States border.
...
Meanwhile, within the territory of the Human Federation, the situation was exactly as Nick Fury had predicted. Fueled by the videos, the fire of resistance was burning fiercely all over the World like a prairie fire.
Countless citizens, holding homemade Molotov cocktails and makeshift weapons, were storming the office buildings of the federal government.
On the streets, workers overturned federal transport trucks loaded with supplies and built high barricades with shipping containers.
The crowds roared and bellowed, using their flesh and blood to charge against the defense lines made of steel and guns.
However, reality is cruel.
In front of a defense line on the outskirts of Paris.
Armored vehicles of the federal army lined up, the muzzles of heavy machine guns aimed at the surging crowd ahead.
A human second lieutenant stood beside the command vehicle, looking at his compatriots ahead who were holding banners and furious, his hand holding the walkie-talkie trembling slightly.
"Officer..." The second lieutenant looked at a major beside him. "That's fake, right? That video... our government can't be aliens."
This "major" turned his head and said sternly, "Of course it's fake, Lieutenant."
There was not a trace of emotion in his words. "That is a video forged by America to split the Federation. Those people in front have been brainwashed; they are rioters, rebels. Federal law cannot be trampled upon."
"But they don't have heavy weapons in their hands..."
"Execute the order, Lieutenant! Or do you want your wife and mother to go to Siberia to burn stones tomorrow?" The major coldly played his trump card.
The second lieutenant shuddered, thinking of his mother who suffered from asthma at home.
According to federal policy, as long as he served in the military, his immediate family members would be exempt from forced labor and could receive extra rations.
He had no choice.
The second lieutenant closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the struggle in his eyes had been replaced by the instinct for survival.
He raised the walkie-talkie.
"All units... open fire!"