The following morning, television broadcasts across the country were still replaying footage from the previous night's battle.
On the screen, J. Jonah Jameson, owner of the Daily Bugle, stood behind his desk practically roaring with excitement.
"Just yesterday," he shouted, slamming a fist on the table, "our great Justice League successfully crushed a dangerous conspiracy!"
His voice grew louder as he pointed toward images of the battle flashing across the screen.
"They not only saved Tony Stark—the man who caused the disaster in the first place—but they also protected the innocent citizens of New York!"
Jameson raised both arms dramatically.
"This is a victory for democracy! A victory for freedom! A victory for the United States of America!"
"Let's give them the applause they deserve!"
He began enthusiastically listing the team members.
"The brilliant mutant professor, Charles Xavier!"
"The strong and fearless optic-blast warrior, Cyclops!"
"The elegant storm goddess herself, Storm!"
"The unstoppable wild fighter, Wolverine!"
"The indestructible silver giant, Colossus!"
"And even the reformed monster who now stands on the side of justice, Emil Blonsky!"
Jameson pointed dramatically toward the camera.
"These heroes represent America's future!"
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Director Nick Fury stared at the television with clenched teeth.
"That old bastard must have been bribed," Fury muttered darkly.
"Justice League my ass. Ethan Voss my ass."
He paced angrily across the room.
"Good thing I still have contacts in the White House who know exactly who caused this mess."
His voice grew harsher.
"You're stealing my ideas, profiting off my work, and now you're even using a logo that looks suspiciously like the Avengers."
Fury pointed furiously at the screen.
"And you still have the nerve to pretend you didn't plagiarize it?"
He stopped pacing and glared at the floor.
"My plan leaked. It had to."
His voice dropped into a dangerous whisper.
"There's a traitor inside S.H.I.E.L.D."
Fury was still breathing heavily when his phone suddenly rang.
He picked it up.
On the other end was Agent Phil Coulson.
"Director," Coulson said calmly. "We located the object that fell from the sky."
"You won't believe it."
"It's a hammer."
Fury frowned slightly.
"If something fell from space, it's probably important. Bring it back."
There was a brief pause.
"Director… that's the problem."
"We can't move it."
"What?"
Fury's blood pressure instantly surged again.
"You can't lift a hammer?"
Then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Coulson… you wouldn't happen to be the traitor, would you?"
Meanwhile, high above New York at Typhon Tower, Ethan Voss had just finished a phone call with the President.
The office door opened.
Natasha Romanoff stepped inside.
"Boss," she said calmly. "The private jet is ready."
"Shall we depart now?"
"Of course," Ethan replied. "If we delay any longer, we might miss the show."
He studied Natasha for a moment.
Then suddenly an idea came to him.
"Natalie," he said slowly, "you've been working for me for quite some time now, and I've been very satisfied with your performance."
"I want to assign you a new responsibility."
Natasha maintained her professional smile.
"As you wish, boss."
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
"I consider you one of my trusted people," he said quietly. "So I'm going to tell you something most people would find unbelievable."
"In this world… there are creatures called vampires."
He spoke calmly.
"They survive by drinking human blood. They are powerful, vicious, and extremely dangerous."
"In fact, you could say they are natural predators of humanity."
Ethan folded his hands.
"And right now, they're spreading across the world."
His tone became colder.
"Clearly, certain organizations that claim to protect humanity have failed their responsibilities."
Natasha's eyes widened slightly as she pretended to be surprised.
But internally, one thought immediately surfaced.
The organization he was referring to… was it S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Ethan continued speaking.
"I know a vampire hunter named Eric Brooks."
He nodded slightly.
"His life has been tragic. He grew up without parents and has devoted his entire life to hunting vampires."
Ethan looked directly at her.
"While I'm away from New York, I want you to keep an eye on him."
"If he runs into trouble, help him."
"And if he's ever in real danger, contact me immediately."
Natasha nodded hesitantly.
"Understood… boss."
She maintained her confused expression perfectly.
But privately she was already thinking.
Vampires?
Was that real… or just another manipulation?
Several hours later, Ethan's private aircraft landed in the desert of New Mexico.
This time, he had brought a considerable group.
Professor Xavier, Storm, the illusionist Jason, Frank Castle, and an entire squad of enhanced soldiers accompanied him.
The moment they exited the plane, Ethan headed straight toward his target.
The hammer.
Just like in the original timeline, Agent Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. had already sealed off the crash site.
Several vehicles approached quickly, immediately attracting suspicion from the perimeter guards.
Ethan remained seated in the car for a moment until Coulson stepped forward.
Only then did he slowly exit the vehicle.
The moment Coulson saw him, his heart skipped slightly.
Something felt wrong.
Sure enough, Ethan calmly adjusted his sunglasses and produced a signed authorization order.
"By order of the United States Department of Homeland Security," he said casually, "I'm now in charge here."
He glanced at Coulson.
"Agent Coulson, perhaps you should pack your things and head home."
Coulson's face remained perfectly neutral.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Voss," he replied. "I haven't received any such instructions from my superiors."
Ethan lifted the document slightly.
"This order is signed personally by the Secretary of Homeland Security," he said lightly.
"And you didn't even bother to read it?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. really is quite domineering."
Coulson's tone grew slightly firmer.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. also has federal authority. Since we discovered this site first, we believe we have priority jurisdiction."
Ethan chuckled.
"Interesting."
"So on American soil, an order from the U.S. government is meaningless?"
He casually folded his arms.
"Before boarding my plane this morning, I spoke directly with the President."
"I told him that when S.H.I.E.L.D. encountered this document, it would treat it like worthless paper."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Looks like I won that bet."
Coulson's expression changed instantly.
"That's not what I meant," he said quickly. "I only meant that we arrived first."
"Actions speak louder than words," Ethan replied.
Without another word, he walked forward with his team.
Coulson hesitated briefly but ultimately did not stop them.
Behind him, Agent Jasper Sitwell quietly observed Ethan with admiration.
S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't suffered such a humiliating loss in a long time.
As expected of the most promising young leader within Hydra.
Truly impressive.
Coulson turned toward Sitwell.
"You go in first," he said quickly. "I need to report this situation to the Director immediately."
When Ethan entered the restricted zone, he quickly took control of the area.
Sitwell made a brief symbolic attempt to protest before stepping aside.
Nearby, Clint Barton frowned in confusion.
"Sitwell," he said quietly. "Who are these people?"
Ethan smiled calmly.
"I'm the leader of the Justice League," he replied.
Barton raised an eyebrow.
He was well aware of the Avengers Initiative.
Earlier that morning Fury had been furious about this very topic.
And now the supposed rival organization had walked straight into their base.
"How did you get inside?" Barton asked. "This area is controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D."
Ethan shrugged casually.
"Coulson and I are old friends," he said lightly.
"My business is his business."
Barton rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"That sounds… suspicious."
He glanced toward Sitwell.
"Do you two have some kind of secret arrangement?"
Sitwell nearly broke into a cold sweat.
If Barton misunderstood this situation any further, Coulson might start suspecting him.
So he quickly explained.
"Mr. Voss has official authorization from the Department of Homeland Security."
"We had no choice."
Barton frowned even more deeply.
Since when did S.H.I.E.L.D. listen to Homeland Security?
Moments later Coulson returned from his call, his expression noticeably darker.
He walked straight toward his team.
"Pack up," he ordered bluntly.
"We're withdrawing."
Ethan smiled warmly.
"You're leaving already?"
"Why not stay for dinner?"
Once S.H.I.E.L.D. withdrew, Ethan had complete control of the temporary base.
Now there was nothing left to do but wait.
Wait for Thor to arrive.
However, when Ethan turned around, he noticed a pile of scientific equipment stacked neatly in the corner.
He immediately recognized it.
These instruments belonged to Jane Foster.
Ethan stared at them thoughtfully.
Perhaps this was a perfect opportunity to make a good first impression.
.....
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