Ethan Cole understood perfectly well what his recent actions had triggered.
Within the upper levels of the United States government, many people had begun to feel deeply uneasy. On one hand, they were astonished by the scale of Ethan's influence and the terrifying strength of the forces under his command. On the other hand, that same power provoked instinctive resistance.
No government liked the existence of someone they could not control.
Still, none of that truly bothered Ethan.
For him, it was only a matter of time before things reached this point. Conflict between him and the state had always been inevitable.
What mattered was that the final line had not yet been crossed.
As long as the situation had not escalated into open confrontation, no one would dare take decisive action against him.
At least not yet.
"Sir," Svija suddenly said, breaking the silence. "Recent monitoring of internet and intelligence networks indicates that the United States has established a specialized mutant task force."
Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Explain."
"The task force is being organized jointly by several major intelligence agencies," Svija continued. "Technical support and coordination are being provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. Internal information exchange between these agencies has already begun."
The system paused for a brief moment before adding another detail.
"I have also located several classified documents. Multiple intelligence departments have now listed you as a priority surveillance target. They are tracking all activities connected to you."
Ethan's expression slowly darkened.
People who knew him well would immediately recognize the meaning behind that look.
He was displeased.
"And?" he asked calmly.
Svija continued the report.
"Your associates have also been included in the monitoring program. Ms. Adeline and Miss Lorna are currently listed as individuals under surveillance."
Ethan's brows drew together slightly.
Now they were beginning to interfere with people around him.
That was something he disliked very much.
"Is there any other news?" he asked.
Svija fell silent for two seconds.
For a human being, two seconds was barely enough time to think. For Svija, those two seconds were sufficient to analyze enormous quantities of data across global networks.
When the system spoke again, its tone was calm.
"I have extracted new information from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database."
"What is it?"
"Captain Rogers has been located," Svija replied. "He has been successfully thawed."
Ethan blinked once.
"Huh."
For a brief moment, surprise flickered across his face.
Then he slowly nodded.
"So it's starting," he murmured.
He was familiar with the general direction of events within the Marvel universe. However, because of his interference, the timeline had already become chaotic and unpredictable. Many developments no longer followed the original sequence.
Even so, one particular event still held enormous significance.
The return of Captain America.
That moment marked a turning point for everything that followed.
From that point onward, the scale of events in this world would escalate dramatically.
The arrival of Asgardians.
Alien invasions.
And eventually, the catastrophic snap of Thanos.
Each of those incidents would shake the entire planet.
"Looks like it's time for us to show a few fangs," Ethan said quietly.
He had spent a long time maintaining a relatively low profile, but there were always people who mistook restraint for weakness.
If that was the case, then perhaps it was time to remind them.
Ethan stood up.
In the next instant, his figure vanished.
A moment later, he appeared high above New York City.
The sprawling metropolis stretched beneath him like an enormous web of steel and glass. Streets crisscrossed the city in intricate patterns, filled with vehicles that looked like tiny moving dots from this height.
Pedestrians flowed through the sidewalks like lines of ants.
Ethan hovered in the sky and watched the scene below.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
"This prosperity," he murmured softly. "I wonder if you can really protect it."
When he turned his head slightly, his gaze landed on Liberty Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.
There stood the Statue of Liberty.
The bronze figure of a woman holding a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other had symbolized freedom in the United States for generations. From the moment it was built, it had represented the ideals the country proudly displayed to the world.
Ethan looked at the statue quietly.
Then he spoke two simple words.
"Extinguish it."
With a single thought, the bronze monument began to change.
The massive structure started to crumble in midair, dissolving slowly as if it had turned into fine ash. Piece by piece, the statue disintegrated, its surface scattering into the wind like dust.
Tourists on the island quickly noticed something was wrong.
"Oh my God, look!"
"What's happening?!"
"My God… the Statue of Liberty… it's melting!"
Panic erupted among the crowd.
Some people shouted in disbelief while others pulled out their phones to record the scene. Many simply stared in horror at the impossible sight unfolding before their eyes.
"Call the police!"
"There must be mutants here!"
"Run!"
Fear spread rapidly as the tourists began fleeing in every direction. Faced with such a bizarre and incomprehensible phenomenon, most people instinctively chose to escape.
Ethan watched their reaction from above.
His expression remained indifferent.
With a casual wave of his hand, the surface of the ocean suddenly split apart.
The sea opened down the middle as if an invisible blade had sliced through it. Massive walls of water rolled outward to both sides, revealing the seabed beneath.
The exposed trench stretched nearly three kilometers long.
For a moment, it looked like a gigantic scar carved into the surface of the ocean.
The waves rose higher and higher along both sides of the gap.
Then Ethan snapped his fingers.
"Snap."
The towering walls of water collapsed inward.
With a deafening roar, the waves surged together in the center, exploding upward in a colossal spray that shot hundreds of meters into the air. After the violent collision, the water crashed downward again and transformed into enormous waves racing toward the coastline.
Each wave was more than ten meters tall.
By themselves, they might not have seemed apocalyptic.
But when stacked together in relentless succession, their destructive force became terrifying.
The roaring tide rushed toward the shore.
Within five or six minutes, the first wave slammed into the coastal defenses near the city. The breakwaters were quickly submerged, and the water continued forward without losing momentum.
Soon it poured directly into the streets.
Chaos erupted instantly.
People screamed as the flood surged through the city, sweeping cars and pedestrians into the rushing water. Vehicles overturned, traffic signals vanished beneath the waves, and entire streets disappeared under the rising tide.
The sudden disaster turned the area into a scene of pure terror.
Bodies and wreckage drifted helplessly in the churning seawater as people struggled desperately to stay afloat.
From high above the city, Ethan watched the devastation unfold.
He showed no particular emotion.
"Sooner or later," he said quietly, "this world will face all kinds of disasters."
He glanced down at the flooded streets below.
"So ordinary people might as well start getting used to it now."
Ethan didn't push the waves any further.
He had deliberately kept their size under control.
This was only meant to be a warning.
Even so, if anyone happened to die or get injured in the chaos, that would simply be their misfortune.
The waves would travel only a few hundred meters inland before losing their strength. The water level wouldn't rise deep enough to swallow entire districts.
But even this limited destruction was more than enough.
It was enough to frighten everyone who witnessed it.
.....
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