Kapitel 191: Chapter 191: Threaten Me? Are You Worthy?
It turns out, even the nicest people have their breaking point.
And when they flip, it can be scarier than one might expect! Upon learning that Clark had lost Skye and had deliberately lied to conceal this fact, Coulson, in a fit of anger, forgot about the vast difference in strength between him and Clark and didn't hesitate to strike.
He delivered a fierce punch to Clark's chest, who, feeling guilty, did not dodge.
As a result, Coulson almost dislocated his wrist from the shock.
Surprised by Clark's formidable defensive capabilities, Coulson drew his gun, ready to go all out against Clark. Fortunately, Captain America intervened just in time to calm down the agitated agent.
After hearing the full story from Clark, Coulson could only promise to do his best to help, even going so far as to use Clark's name to request additional resources from Fury to track down Skye.
What else could Clark do but agree wholeheartedly, given it was his responsibility for losing her?
The post-disaster reconstruction in New York City was well-organized. Despite being attacked by the Frost Giants' elite squad and the Destroyer, the overall casualties were minimal. Thanks to the collective effort of superheroes, including Clark, losses were minimized.
Clark's reputation soared even higher after the alien invasion incident, surpassing the flashy Iron Man and rivaling Captain America.
However, not all voices in the public discourse were friendly.
Some argued that the Frost Giants and the Destroyer were specifically targeting Clark, claiming he brought disaster upon the people and that he and the other superheroes should be held accountable for the damages.
These voices, however, were not mainstream and quickly drowned out by the overwhelming praise for the superheroes.
Yenna, who had hoped to exploit the situation, ended up shooting themselves in the foot. Internet users interpreted the incident as a conspiracy orchestrated by Yenna to undermine Clark.
Once this theory surfaced, it quickly gained traction.
Given Yenna's dubious methods, the internet once again rallied against the company, blaming them for the chaos.
As for the truth, the public was none the wiser. After all, the superhero group Clark represented was in a honeymoon phase of cooperation with the government.
Though the uproar quickly subsided, Clark remained alert. He knew that dissatisfaction had begun to seed and could potentially grow if another mishap occurred, possibly leading to widespread public backlash against superheroes similar to the "Sokovia Accords" scenario in the movies.
But that was a worry for another day.
Now, leveraging the victory over the Frost Giants and the Destroyer, Clark, along with Tony Stark and Captain America, became a government representative for superheroes.
Since he was now a representative, he had to fulfill his duties. He set aside his plan to search for Skye personally, leaving it to S.H.I.E.L.D., and spent three days drafting the "Superhero Registration Act."
This act resembled the "Mutant Registration Act" in some ways, but Clark's proposal was voluntary, with no compulsory measures. Superheroes could choose to fully disclose their identities or just their achievements, with corresponding benefits such as social security and wages from the government.
After all, many superheroes, like Spider-Man, lived in poverty. Superheroes need to eat too!
However, superheroes could not act above the law. Given their work's dangerous nature, Clark proposed a "shoot first, ask questions later" right, where superheroes would be exempt from criminal charges if the evidence proved the deceased had indeed endangered public safety and social order.
This proposal was controversial and was voted down in Congress, but there was still a chance for it to pass in the future.
Not now, though.
Other than that, most of the act's provisions were supported and, after modifications, were officially enacted.
Superheroes, unlike mutants, don't differ genetically from ordinary humans. Many are just ordinary people with extraordinary training. Removing the mask, they are just regular citizens.
If some financial incentive could regulate superhero actions, the government would be all for it. This act could also address the economic issues many superheroes faced.
Clark felt his efforts were well rewarded, firmly securing his position. His next goal was to become one of the five United Nations Security Council members, filling the vacancy left by the Lama's death.
With his current fame and status, the position wasn't out of reach, but there was no rush.
Leaving the Capitol, Clark saw a dusty Tony Stark standing on the steps, looking like he had a bone to pick.
Curious about the situation in Asgard, Clark suggested, "How about we grab a drink?"
Tony, eyeing the departing congressmen, temporarily shelved his plans for confrontation, "I know a decent bar. You're buying."
"No problem, send me the location and a photo through Eir."
Together, they found a secluded corner, where Clark opened a portal to a bar in Hell's Kitchen, New York, mentioned by Tony, and they stepped through.
The bar's owner was a tall, muscular black man, known to Clark as Luke Cage, one of New York City's superheroes.
Clark slipped a twenty-dollar bill into two empty glasses, ordering, "One cocktail and one juice, please."
"Oh no!" Tony immediately protested, "You can't do that. If we're drinking, we're drinking the same thing."
"Oh, alright." Clark complied easily, "Then, two juices, please."
"Damn!" Tony insisted, "I mean, you have to drink alcohol with me!"
Seeing Tony's determination, Clark shrugged, indicating he'd drink whatever Tony ordered.
Tony then laid a stack of bills on the table, telling Luke Cage, "Bloody Mary, twenty rounds!"
After the drinks were served, Tony raised a glass, "Cheers! To you, the con artist, for successfully fooling this genius once again!"
"Hold on!" Clark was taken aback, "When did I ever fool you? Clarify that for me."
Tony's expression soured, "Bucky Barnes, the murderer, wasn't in Asgard at all. Odin told me he's still on Earth!"
Clark chuckled inwardly but feigned innocence, "When did I tell you he was in Asgard?"
Impression points from Tony Stark +23333!
Tony dismissed further discussion, "Enough talk, drink! As you Chinese say, it's only right to welcome me, so let's do it the Chinese way!"
The concept of "cheers" differs between East and West. In the West, it's about clinking glasses and sipping gracefully. In the East, it means drinking the whole glass.
Seeing Tony ready to go all out, Clark had no choice but to join in, downing his drink in one gulp.
After two more rounds, Tony began sharing his Asgardian adventure, amazed by the advanced technology but puzzled why they still favored melee combat with cold weapons.
After sharing their thoughts and three drinks in, Tony started to get into his story, which followed the movie's plot closely. After being beaten by Clark, Loki's plan changed, involving Laufey in a plot to kill Clark as a bargaining chip for betraying Asgard.
On the other hand, after failing to assassinate Thor with the Destroyer, Loki decisively led the Frost Giants into an ambush in Asgard, planning to destroy Jotunheim with the Bifrost.
Thankfully, Thor returned in time to thwart Loki's genocidal scheme. Like in the movie, Loki fell into a cosmic wormhole, luckily leaving the Bifrost undamaged, ensuring Tony could return to Earth soon.
As they continued drinking, Tony, despite his regular exercise, struggled with the alcohol, unlike Clark, who remained unaffected.
Seeing Clark still composed, Tony, feeling dizzy, expressed disbelief, "I thought you couldn't drink?"
"Who told you that?" Clark smiled, explaining, "My metabolism is dozens of times faster than a normal person's. Alcohol is quickly broken down and absorbed, so theoretically, I can never get drunk."
Pausing, he added mischievously, "I could even drive home now without worrying about breathalyzers."
"Damn it!" Tony cursed, collapsing onto the bar, knocked out cold.
Clark, seeing Tony defeated, shook his head in dismay.
Why go against him in drinking?
After greeting Luke Cage, Clark grabbed Tony by the collar, dragging him out of the bar. He then opened a portal to Tony's mansion and tossed him through.
"Take care of your mom, she's drunk," Clark instructed through the portal.
"Great, my 'mom' looks terrible when drunk!" Clark imagined Eir, dressed as Hatsune Miku, disdainfully commenting. Despite her words, she managed Tony with her mechanical arms.
"The whole world is learning Chinese, the words of Confucius becoming more international. The whole world speaks Chinese, our words making the world listen..."
Suddenly, Coulson's call interrupted. Upon answering, Coulson's voice, tinged with excitement, came through, "Skye has been found. She's in a church named Ponce de León in San Juan, likely in Hydra's hands now. I need you to rescue her."
"No problem!"
With news of Skye's whereabouts, Clark was energized, "Send me the exact location and a close-up photo."
Hanging up, Coulson immediately sent the details. Clark, after reviewing them, opened a portal directly above the church.
Portals, while convenient, have their limitations. To cast one, Clark needed to have visited the destination or seen it, even in a photo, but not just by imagining it.
Thus, even with the Tesseract's power, opening a portal to Asgard was impossible without a mental image of the place.
Overlooking the majestic church, Clark called Coulson again, "I've arrived. Can you confirm there are no innocent civilians inside, and no S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, right?"
Knowing Clark was ready to strike, Coulson, despite reservations about such drastic action, confirmed, "All armed personnel inside are Hydra. There are no S.H.I.E.L.D. undercover agents."
S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, entwined enemies for decades, were still entangled, despite efforts to cleanse the latter from the former.
Assured there were no S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Clark was ready to unleash hell.
Appearing at the church's entrance, his healing stick transformed into a sword, and he swiftly silenced two Hydra guards before they could react.
Ignoring the doomed Hydra agents, Clark stormed into the church, effortlessly taking down armed Hydra soldiers without allowing them a chance to fire.
By the time he reached the main hall, only seven, including the puppet master Strucker and a seemingly non-combatant woman, remained of the 136 Hydra thugs.
These survivors, ready for battle, aimed their guns at Clark, who approached calmly.
Strucker, using Skye as a shield and threatening her life, tried to intimidate Clark.
Clark's response, a contemptuous smirk, was clear: "Threaten me? Are you worthy?"
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