"First, some official organizations attack us while others sit back and watch. Then, when we win, they turn on those initial attackers to eliminate competition. Now they've triggered a global nuclear strike and gone into hiding. Honestly, it's disgusting," Tony Stark said coldly, his tone dripping with disdain.
"They've always been like this," Martian Manhunter said with a shrug, his voice calm but laced with bitterness. "I've infiltrated enough of these organizations to know. Sure, there are decent individuals within them, but as a whole, their primary concern is always their own interests."
"They didn't hold back at first because they feared us or had any moral qualms. They simply believed the sheer number of Doomsdays would be enough to wipe us out. They wanted to preserve their own forces to dominate the remaining factions later."
"In other words, whether we survived or not, this nuclear war was inevitable. The only difference is that, if we had lost, no one would've been around to stop it."
Steve Rogers frowned, his face clouded with worry.
"So, what do we do about them now?" he asked.
Despite his years of experience, the moral weight of the decision was clear. Even for someone as decisive as Steve, the idea of taking control of humanity or outright dismantling these organizations felt like an impossible choice.
"They've already caused all this destruction. Letting them off the hook seems far too lenient," Martian Manhunter said, his eyes glowing faintly as he communicated telepathically with the group.
"When the Doomsdays and nuclear missiles are dealt with, these organizations will undoubtedly try to contact us. They'll see our power and be scared. They'll likely even offer to cooperate with us initially, hoping to curry favor."
"But let's be honest—they're not trustworthy. They've stabbed us in the back before, and if given the chance, they'll do it again."
"To prevent that, we need to make it impossible for them to betray us."
"Make it impossible for them to betray us?"
The Avengers exchanged glances, the weight of Martian Manhunter's suggestion sinking in. Steve's expression grew more conflicted.
Martian Manhunter's meaning was clear: he was proposing telepathic control, ensuring that the officials running these organizations couldn't act against the Avengers' interests.
But such a method crossed a line for Steve, a man who valued freedom above all else.
While he understood the logic behind Martian Manhunter's idea—these organizations had proven time and again that they couldn't be trusted—Steve couldn't condone using telepathy to manipulate others.
It was a moral paradox: leaving the organizations alone risked future betrayal, but taking control of them undermined the Avengers' own principles.
Meanwhile, Robert, Clark, and the Sentry swiftly neutralized the remaining nuclear launch sites. The organizations that had narrowly avoided destruction quickly learned of the Avengers' success.
"See? I told you! The Avengers would never let this happen!"
In one hidden base, an official cheered, emboldened by the news. To them, the crisis was over, and they had emerged victorious.
The officials had been right to assume the Avengers wouldn't sit idly by while the world faced annihilation. But they also believed the Avengers would limit themselves to dealing with superhuman threats, avoiding any deeper involvement in human governance.
With their competitors eliminated, the surviving organizations anticipated a consolidation of power. Even under the Avengers' oversight, they expected to wield more influence than ever before.
Some officials even considered themselves allies of the Avengers, having avoided direct confrontation and helped dismantle groups like Vought International.
This sense of self-importance led some to dream of future collaboration with the Avengers, imagining access to their resources and technology. Others, more pragmatic, recognized that any real partnership would require offering something valuable in return—like the secrets of the Doomsdays and Kryptonian mechanical warriors.
After all, these technologies weren't exclusive to any single group. If they didn't share them willingly, the Avengers could still obtain them through other means.
With this in mind, several organizations began preparing to make overtures to the Avengers, hoping to secure their favor.
However, the Avengers, fresh from dealing with the nuclear threat, weren't in a rush to engage with these factions.
Instead, they turned their attention to Black Adam.
Compared to the moral and political quagmire of dealing with humanity's leadership, Black Adam's case seemed refreshingly straightforward.
Although Black Adam had calmed down and shown a willingness to communicate during the latter stages of the Doomsday battle, his earlier behavior had been reckless and dangerous.
From the Avengers' perspective, his antagonistic history with the wizard Shazam raised further concerns. If Shazam, a figure aligned with justice, had seen fit to seal Black Adam away, it suggested a deeper issue.
Surprisingly, Black Adam offered no resistance during their interrogation. The battles with the Doomsdays and his encounters with the Avengers had humbled him.
Having witnessed their overwhelming power, Black Adam realized that even if he excluded figures like Clark, Robert, and the Sentry, there were still numerous Avengers whose strength rivaled or exceeded his own.
With no chance of victory, Black Adam had no intention of futilely asserting his pride.
Moreover, he understood that the Avengers weren't unreasonable. Despite their immense strength, they had treated him fairly and given him opportunities to explain himself.
"So, your powers didn't come directly from the wizard Shazam, but were passed to you by your son?"
The Avengers' inquiry eventually uncovered the truth of Black Adam's origins. His abilities were a gift from his son, who had sacrificed his own powers—and ultimately his life—to protect him.
Hearing this, the Avengers began to understand why Black Adam had reacted so violently when hearing that Shazam's power could be shared.
His fury stemmed from deep personal pain and loss.
Additionally, Black Adam explained that his sealing had been the result of his excessive vengeance. In his grief, he had gone too far in punishing his enemies, prompting the wizard council to intervene.
With this context, the Avengers' suspicion of Black Adam eased somewhat.
"Why are wizards so obsessed with sealing things away?" Pietro quipped, breaking the tension. "At Kamar-Taj, they rarely seal enemies. Why do wizards keep passing problems to the next generation? Don't they realize leaving threats unresolved will just make things worse later? Uh… no offense," he added awkwardly, noticing Black Adam's reaction.
Black Adam, however, nodded in understanding.
"Seven Deadly Sins? Are they demons from the underworld?" he asked, referring to the Avengers' mention of another sealed threat. "In my time, when the gods vanished, we often faced invasions from other dimensions."
Steve brought the discussion back to Black Adam's fate.
"While your actions might be understandable given your past, we can't let you roam freely just yet. We'll need to observe you for a while," he said firmly.
Black Adam hesitated but eventually nodded. "Fine. But in the meantime, can I learn more about this era? There's much I want to understand about this world and its history."
Steve considered the request. "We can share some non-sensitive information, but you'll need to stay in our base for now. At least until we're certain you're not a threat."
With that, Black Adam found himself a guest—or prisoner—at the Avengers' headquarters. Like Victor Stone, who had undergone a similar experience after his transformation, Black Adam began to acclimate to this new world.
As he delved into the Avengers' archives, Black Adam learned not only about the modern era but also about the fall of his own time—the Age of the Gods.
The gods of Helios, who had once been so powerful, had been driven to extinction by a far greater force: the Celestials.
"Heliopolis?" Black Adam murmured, his eyes narrowing.
The revelation struck a deep chord within him, as his powers originated from that very pantheon. He couldn't help but wonder: had his gods truly fallen to the Celestials? Or had something even darker transpired?
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