Capítulo 208: Chapter 208: Sharpening Scissors and Honing Kitchen Knives!
Clark knew in advance about the impending Chitauri invasion, a plot he was familiar with from the movies he had seen before his time travel.
This is why, when Clark heard about the Chitauri army's approach, he almost instinctively thought they would use the method depicted in the movies, arriving through a teleportation portal.
However, it now seemed impossible.
If the Chitauri army were to come through spatial rifts, it would be a hundred times more difficult than the scenario in the movie! If they used a portal, Earth could target it for strategic attacks and, like in the movie, end the war by simply closing the portal, keeping the initiative firmly on Earth's side.
But if they arrived through space wormholes, they could choose their time and location of attack, and Earth had to be prepared for a major battle!
Trouble was indeed brewing for Earth!
Even without the "powerful individuals" mentioned by Sif, Earth faced an unprecedented challenge.
This was not something Clark could handle alone. He needed to discuss countermeasures with Hank Pym.
...
"Achoo!"
In the corridor of the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Hank Pym sneezed without warning. Maria Hill, walking behind him, quickly asked, "Director Fury, do you have a cold?"
Shaking his head, Hank Pym commented on a potted plant on the windowsill: "I might be allergic to pollen. Get these plants out of here. What does it look like having so many plants in an office?"
Hill agreed, though she remembered these were Hank Pym's additions to liven up the office.
Of course, she kept her complaints to herself and arranged for the removal of the newly acquired plants.
Rubbing his nose and returning to his office, Hank Pym's expression turned grave. "Could you give me a heads-up next time you appear? This is S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Clark, an Asian young man handsome enough to have no friends, was leisurely drinking juice on the sofa in Hank Pym's office, legs crossed.
"If I were you, I wouldn't worry about these trivial matters right now." Clark looked seriously at Hank Pym: "Earth is in big trouble!"
Hank Pym was shocked at Clark's casual remark: "What's going on!?"
"Stay calm."
Clark gestured for Hank Pym to sit down and talk.
Alien invasion was indeed a serious matter, but no matter how serious, it wasn't something that could be resolved in a panic.
After the initial shock, Hank Pym also quickly calmed down and sat quietly next to Clark.
Clark no longer held back, sharing everything he knew with Hank Pym, slightly modified and embellished.
"The things Odin spoke of, I've also seen similar visions in the Quantum Realm," Clark said calmly: "Putting these together, the prophecy seems highly credible."
Hank Pym nodded gravely, internalizing this information while acknowledging Clark's point.
Clark continued: "However, in the vision I saw, it was Erik Selvig, whom you brought in to study the Tesseract, who was tricked by Loki. While researching the Tesseract, he inadvertently created a backdoor, allowing the Tesseract to be activated from the other end of the universe."
"Loki used the Tesseract to travel through space, then stole it and finally set up a space portal on top of Stark Tower, welcoming the Chitauri army."
Hearing this, Hank Pym urgently asked, "What was the outcome?"
Clark shook his head: "The outcome doesn't matter now. With our intervention, history has already changed. Even if I return the Tesseract to you, and you bring Erik Selvig to study it, Loki might not act according to the original trajectory."
Understanding Clark's point, Hank Pym grasped the key issue: "So, they might directly bring their warships to Earth for a frontal invasion?"
Clark nodded slightly, and Hank Pym sighed: "That's an extremely bad piece of news."
"The good news is, the enemy won't appear immediately," Clark shrugged: "This is another point where my future vision and Odin's words coincide. The enemy will come to Earth in 2012."
Despite this small consolation, Hank Pym couldn't muster a smile: "This reminds me of the Mayan prophecy."
Gathering his spirits, Hank Pym stated: "Currently, Earth has no means to counter an alien invasion. I need to convince nations to believe your message."
Hank Pym's concerns were exactly why Clark urgently sought him out.
On Earth, due to the uncertainty of alien existence, most developed weapons were designed for terrestrial conflicts, like intercontinental missiles targeting ground locations. Such weapons were not useless against an alien invasion but certainly lacked specificity.
There was no missile system designed to launch directly into space. Earth would be at a disadvantage in a conflict!
Moreover, Earth's military capabilities were far behind those of universe-dominating races.
To persuade world leaders to research weapons against aliens and fully support S.H.I.E.L.D. in developing such weapons, mere words wouldn't suffice.
Clark agreed to hand over most of the energy weapons and aircrafts captured from the Kree to Hank Pym for negotiations with nations, while keeping only a sample for the genius team at home to study.
After a long discussion with Hank Pym, Clark spent the night in a temporary room at S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill came to discuss the situation, and the two talked into the early hours.
After another full day of discussions with Hank Pym and the now-informed Hill, their historic meeting finally concluded.
As Clark was leaving, Hank Pym earnestly promised him: "In this alien invasion event, you're the one with the most inside information and the only one with a close relationship with Asgard. With such an advantage, I propose recommending you to take over Pierce's vacant seat on the Council."
Smiling, Hank Pym added, "Consider it compensation for contributing those alien weapons."
Clark immediately declined: "Ensuring Earth's safety is everyone's responsibility. Talking about compensation is too alienating!"
However, Hank Pym insisted: "With the situation developed to this point, you bear an undeniable responsibility. Don't think of staying out of it; Earth needs you now!"
In fact, Clark had long coveted that position.
However, with the looming crisis, he felt it would be troublesome, involving endless negotiations with other Council members and world leaders.
Reluctantly, Clark said, "Alright, as you wish."
Securing Pierce's important position, even with Hank Pym's full support, wasn't quick.
This gave Clark the perfect opportunity to arrange his personal affairs.
First, his family members – Xiaobai, Hope, and Mindy – were moved to a villa in Los Angeles. Old Pi even relocated his entire laboratory there.
Although Clark couldn't pinpoint where the Chitauri would strike first, he decisively moved his family away from the contentious New York.
The Inhumans quickly found a new base. Jiaying politely declined Clark's invitation, leading her people out of the public eye once more.
Only Skye, at her insistence and under Clark's watchful eye, was left behind by Jiaying.
After these arrangements, Clark's appointment was finalized. Only after taking office did he realize why Hank Pym was so insistent: convincing other Council members and world leaders to prepare for an alien invasion was no simple task!
Fortunately, with Clark and Hank Pym's persuasive skills, it took half a month to convince the real power-holders on Earth.
Finally, with full support from all nations, Hank Pym immediately organized S.H.I.E.L.D. to prepare for the upcoming Earth defense war.
Clark was responsible for assembling the Avengers, providing them with equipment and logistical support.
Previously, he secured many benefits for these superheroes. With the Chitauri army set to arrive in two years, it was time to gather these powerful heroes for a rehearsal.
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