"Of course, Sorcerer Supreme. Please wait patiently. Our meeting will begin shortly!" Secretary Ross did not dare act carelessly in front of Harry. His tone was serious, and his attitude was completely different from how he treated the other superheroes.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Secretary Ross stood up, revealing a kind smile.
"Five years ago, I was getting ready to swing at a golf ball when I suddenly had a heart attack. That was one of the best periods of my life. I went through thirteen hours of surgery and a heart bypass.
"I learned something that forty years of military service had never taught me, experience and perspective.
"The entire world owes the Avengers a tremendous debt. You fought for us. You risked your lives to help us.
"Many people see you as superheroes. And some people…"
Ross's expression was no longer as genial as before. It gradually turned solemn, as though he were speaking on behalf of the Avengers.
"And some people would rather use the word 'vigilantes' to describe you."
At that moment, Black Widow, who was sitting beside Harry, asked a sharp question.
"Which word do you use, Mr. Secretary?"
"How about 'dangerous'?" Secretary Ross said in a deep voice. "A group of enhanced individuals living in America, ignoring sovereign borders, imposing their will wherever and on whomever they choose, with absolutely no regard for the consequences. What would you call people like that?"
At that moment, Harry gently tapped the tabletop with his fingertips. The sound was very soft, but it successfully made the atmosphere in the room even heavier. General Ross instinctively took a step back, and the soldiers stationed around them tightened their grips on their firearms.
But they only tightened their grips. They did not dare make any other move, because they knew that to the Sorcerer Supreme, guns were nothing more than boring toys. They could not pose any threat at all.
The Sorcerer Supreme and the other heroes were figures on two completely different levels!
Ross quietly swallowed, calming the tension in his heart while inwardly cursing. Why had this troublesome guy come to this meeting? He did not remember ever inviting him.
On the surface, however, Secretary Ross still forced out a smile and gestured to him.
"Does the Sorcerer Supreme have anything to add?"
Harry asked in puzzlement, "General Ross, I am also a member of the Avengers. In fact, the many sorcerers of Kamar-Taj are also members of the Avengers. So can I interpret your words as dissatisfaction toward us as well?"
Secretary Ross grew even more nervous. He had not expected Harry to be so direct. The government was indeed extremely dissatisfied with Kamar-Taj. How could governments possibly feel at ease about an independent organization whose military power was comparable to that of a major nation, and whose top combat power far surpassed them?
Of course, Secretary Ross would not bring that up directly the way Harry had. Although the Sorcerer Supreme stood on the side of justice, through all kinds of information, they had long since confirmed that what the Sorcerer Supreme protected was the entire Earth and humanity as a whole. He would not be morally blackmailed by them like other superheroes.
If they did anything that interfered with Kamar-Taj's mission to protect Earth, then Kamar-Taj really might lose its temper!
Secretary Ross waved his hands repeatedly and added, "That is, of course, different. Kamar-Taj possesses Kamar-Taj and the floating city as its territory. It is an independent nation recognized by the United Nations, and it has visa-free access and law-enforcement authority in every country.
"These are rules recognized by all nations of the world. Naturally, when you go somewhere to enforce the law, that does not count as a violation."
Steve, Tony, and the others looked at one another. They had not expected Secretary Ross to have skin that thick. He came down hard on them, but acted submissive in front of Harry. Where was the dignity of a Secretary of State?
Harry was very satisfied with Ross's answer. He nodded.
"Very good, Mr. Secretary. Please continue."
Ross secretly let out a sigh of relief. He had finally managed to smooth things over with this walking disaster.
After that, he opened a projection, and his expression became serious again. He controlled himself and avoided looking at Harry, staring instead at Tony and the others as though he had not noticed their strange gazes.
"Next are the incidents of destruction caused by the Avengers. Specifically, New York!"
The projected image flickered, showing a massive green figure.
From the Leviathans flashing past in the background and the blue-skinned aliens, it was clear that this was footage from the Battle of New York.
In the footage, the exterior wall of a high-rise shattered like crackers beneath Hulk's heavy punches. Chunks of concrete wrapped in steel rebar fell like a storm.
Every time he kicked against the wall for leverage, the glass curtain wall shattered like a mirror crushed by an invisible giant hand, sending tens of thousands of fragments exploding into the air.
The entire building let out an ear-piercing screech of twisting metal. Its steel frame was forcibly bent into coils by Hulk's thick arms, and sparks from the ruptured sections ignited the shattered insulation layer. Thick smoke mixed with construction dust and rose into the air.
The green beast was like an out-of-control demolition machine, treating the wall as a climbing surface and tearing through it at will.
Tiles, pipes, and fire hydrants were scattered everywhere in his wake. Human-shaped dents smashed out by tremendous force overlapped across the entire wall, as if a giant drill had pierced through it again and again.
The civilians on the ground stared in terror as he climbed upward on the collapsing outer wall. The whole building trembled and gave out dying groans, while cracks spread across the structure at a visible speed.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Banner. Banner scratched his hair in embarrassment and said nothing awkwardly.
He did not know what to say now. This was indeed Hulk's fault, and also his own.
Under Harry's guidance, he had gradually accepted Hulk's existence.
"All right, it seems you all know what you've done. Let's look at the next one, Washington!"
The image changed again. Three Helicarriers were like out-of-control steel whales, dragging burning exhaust trails as they fell from the clouds.
The first struck the dome of the Capitol Building first. The red, white, and blue American flag turned to ash in the violent explosion, and marble columns collapsed with a thunderous roar, crushing the bronze statues on the steps into powder.
Scorching metal wreckage rained down on the streets. Cars were instantly flattened into scrap metal, and gasoline mixed with blood spread across the asphalt.
The second plunged diagonally into the business district. Glass curtain walls turned into sharp fragments under the shock wave, and office buildings became honeycombs gnawed through by giant beasts. Countless desks and filing cabinets spilled out from the torn-open floors.
The neon signs along the commercial street twisted out of shape. A massive hanging billboard was caught by the blast wave and smashed into the crowd. In an instant, the entire street fell into a sea of flames.
The final Helicarrier slammed straight through the middle of the Washington Monument. The hundred-meter-tall marble obelisk collapsed with a thunderous roar, and dust and smoke covered half the sky.
The nearby Lincoln Memorial cracked under the violent tremors. Half of Lincoln's statue's face was shaved away by a falling steel support, and the splintering stones pierced the display windows of shops along the street like bullets.
Burning engine wreckage rolled into the Potomac River, sending columns of water dozens of meters high into the air. The surging heat wave tossed moored yachts onto the riverbank.
All of Washington was shrouded in towering smoke and ruins. Cries, explosions, and the shriek of twisting metal tangled together without end.
Seeing this video, Steve lowered his head, guilt appearing on his face.
Ross nodded. He was very satisfied with Steve's reaction. Sure enough, kindhearted Captain America could not bear to watch this. Ross continued switching to the next scene.
"Lagos!"
A massive explosion rang out. The building shook violently under the impact, its walls instantly collapsing as bricks and glass poured down like rain.
Inside the building, piercing screams and desperate cries intertwined. The Wakandans were completely engulfed by this sudden disaster.
Some were struck by flying stones, their clothes instantly dyed red with blood as they fell to the ground, their lives uncertain.
Some had their bodies pinned beneath falling ceiling beams, able only to let out painful groans as they struggled desperately but could not escape the heavy restraints.
Others tried to flee in panic, only to choke on the surging smoke and dust, unable to breathe. They groped helplessly in the darkness before finally being swallowed by the rolling heat wave.
After the explosion, the scene was a ruin, like hell on earth.
The once-bustling and lively neighborhood had turned into rubble. The pungent smell of gunpowder smoke filled the air and lingered for a long time.
The surviving Wakandans stood frozen in place, their eyes filled with fear, shock, and grief. Looking at the destroyed building, looking at the tragic state of their relatives and compatriots, tears spilled uncontrollably from their eyes.
They could not understand why this had happened. The loved ones they had only just parted with moments ago were now cold corpses.
Sam, the Falcon, who had only recently joined, lowered his head in guilt and apologized with pain in his voice.
"I'm sorry. If I had been a little faster back then…"
Steve suddenly patted Sam's shoulder, giving him the little comfort he could. Then he looked solemnly at Secretary Ross and said in a deep voice, "That's enough. Leave it there."
Secretary Ross did not want to push too hard either. He paused the image on the tragic state of a Wakandan woman, then said solemnly, "Over the past four years, you have operated without any oversight or restraint. The governments of the world can no longer tolerate this situation continuing.
"But we have a solution, the Sokovia Accords. One hundred and seventeen countries support this agreement. It states that the Avengers will no longer be a private organization.
"All of your actions will be strictly supervised by a special United Nations panel, and you may only act when that panel deems it necessary."
At that moment, Steve finally could not help refuting him.
"The Avengers were formed to make the world safer. I believe I accomplished that."
Secretary Ross refuted him. "Steve, tell me, where is that alien Thor right now? He caused plenty of destruction on Earth, then simply left. Do you think that's appropriate?"
Secretary Ross changed his example and continued, "If I misplaced a thirty-megaton nuclear bomb, the consequences would be obvious.
"Compromising at the right time and providing safeguards, that is the best way to do things now. Trust me, this is the most moderate and most suitable method available!"
At that moment, Colonel Rhodes, who was sitting in the front, waved his hand and asked, "Then there should be a contingency plan, right?"
Secretary Ross replied, "Correct. In three days, the United Nations conference will convene in Vienna to ratify this agreement."
At that moment, Black Widow asked in a low voice, "And if our decision doesn't go your way?"
Ross's face was instantly covered in shadow, turning terrifyingly gloomy.
"Then you retire."
Steve looked at Tony. The two stared at each other for a moment, then looked at Harry together, waiting for his answer.
Harry raised an eyebrow, signaling that he would handle it.
After Ross finished speaking, the conference room fell silent for a moment. Only then did Harry smile and say, "Mr. Secretary, may I attend this conference? Hmm, as the representative of Kamar-Taj."
"You want to go too, Sorcerer Supreme?" Secretary Ross was somewhat puzzled. Although Kamar-Taj had long since been recognized by the United Nations as an independent nation, the Sorcerer Supreme had never attended any United Nations conference before.
As for the reason, Secretary Ross could roughly guess.
The enemies the Sorcerer Supreme usually faced were demons from other dimensions, or even possibly Dimensional Demon Gods. The people he dealt with were also mysterious sorcerers from other dimensions. How could he possibly care about an organization on Earth?
Then why did he want to attend this time?
There was no question. It absolutely had something to do with the Avengers!
Secretary Ross was worried. Did the Sorcerer Supreme oppose the Sokovia Accords?
If the Sorcerer Supreme opposed them, then the signing of the Sokovia Accords would certainly meet enormous resistance. At that point, many countries might abstain simply to avoid offending the Sorcerer Supreme!
However, Secretary Ross could not find any way to stop Harry from attending the United Nations conference. After all, as a member state's representative, it was perfectly appropriate for him to attend.
So Secretary Ross could only force out an ugly smile and say, "Of course. If the Sorcerer Supreme attends the meeting, the United Nations will absolutely welcome you!"
...
At Steve's home, many superheroes had gathered to discuss what would happen after the conference.
Although they had already decided to establish the Multiverse Hero League, Tony and Steve still disliked each other. This phenomenon had continued from the moment the two first met all the way until now.
However, because Wanda had forgiven Stark Industries for manufacturing the missile, and had also forgiven Tony, who had once been the CEO of Stark Industries, Tony had also forgiven the Winter Soldier, Bucky, who had been controlled by Hydra and killed his parents.
Otherwise, the two of them would definitely have come to blows, and it was even possible they might have fought to the death!
At that moment, Tony opened a screen and said to Steve, "I'm telling you, I was right from the start. Look at this kid. Charles Spencer, the son of the mother who came to me with her pain. He really was a good kid.
"Computer engineering major, 3.6 GPA, planning to get a job at Intel in the fall. Before that, he wanted to gain some experience and see the world.
"But during our battle with the Chitauri, a building fell on him, and he died right there.
"We had absolutely no decision-making process, so don't say anything else. Hand the right to decide over to Harry. He can lead us!"
When Tony said that final sentence, Steve could no longer find a reason to oppose him. Nor did he want to.
After all, unlike Tony, who still had a somewhat childish side, Steve cared more about the bigger picture. The current decision already satisfied him!
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