The argument didn't solve the problem. Nick Fury's intention was clear; he didn't want to give up the powerful Avengers group. Dr. Banner had already been hidden by him in a secret Base. Besides him, Banner, and Special Agent Phil, no one else knew where the Hulk had gone. It was obvious that Nick Fury intended to stir up trouble right under the government's nose. After so many incidents, Nick Fury had realized the consequences of his insufficient authority and the problem of the black hand behind the government. Such a conversation was meaningless, and in the end, Captain America and Tony could only part on bad terms.
"I didn't expect that, Captain, our thoughts were actually consistent this time." The two grown men walked in silence on the road; the atmosphere was nothing but 'awkward'. Unable to stand this awkward atmosphere, Tony couldn't help but start a conversation. He wasn't wrong; he was indeed very surprised this time. After all, it was the first time he had maintained the same opinion as this 'Old Timer', which was rare.
"I didn't expect it either. I thought you, Tony, were just an unreliable and somewhat selfish guy. I didn't expect you to care about the lives of those super heroes. It really made me change my opinion of you, Tony." As a straightforward 'boy', the Captain spoke his inner evaluation of Tony directly, which made Tony's face turn livid. He really still hated this 'Old Timer'! Having never suffered such grievances, Tony rolled his eyes at the Captain and walked away with a dark face. They were indeed incompatible when together. The Captain was left blinking in confusion. Huh! What happened? Why did he suddenly ignore me? What is going on? Did I offend him?
"Fortunately, I didn't let Artoria join. Otherwise, such a disgusting group, I'm really afraid it would pollute my little princess." Walking along, Tony suddenly thought with relief. Fortunately, he had adamantly refused to let Artoria join this organization back then. Otherwise, he was truly afraid of Artoria seeing the dark side of this world. It was better for him to bear such darkness alone; he absolutely could not let his lily-like sister see this dirty world. Thinking of this, Tony's mood improved quite a bit. Although he had been infuriated by the Captain earlier, there were still good things!
"The Avengers group is already finished. It seems it is time to form a new group. Super heroes who cannot freely stretch their hands and feet to protect the world and are still being dragged down by the state are simply not an organization that saves the world; they are just a special force for the government. Indeed, it is necessary to establish an organization that is completely free from government jurisdiction." Tony thought about how the world still could not lack super heroes, because for many things, letting ordinary people go up to solve them would not only fail to resolve them, but might also waste more lives in vain. Therefore, super heroes had their own way of being used. Tony understood this point very well. To not let the daily lives of super heroes be threatened while still being able to protect world peace, this point indeed required a group that was not on the table.
"I'll pick the members myself!" After thinking it through, Tony put on his armor and flew away. Now he had made up his mind to establish a team of his own choosing to counter those super-powered criminals. He had already thought of a name: let's call it the 'Illuminati'.
"Dear, what's wrong?" Artoria's parents, Howard and Maria, who had faked their deaths for many years, were currently living leisurely in a remote Base. They slowly learned about social trends and their daughter's safety through life model decoys. The major events that had occurred some time ago had truly destroyed the worldviews of normal people. However, the only thing that made the two elders happy was that Artoria hadn't gone to the scene to confront that guy who was as powerful as a 'god'. This gave the two elders great relief; the child had finally stopped being a super hero.
But on this day, just like usual, Howard, who was maintaining the equipment, suddenly stood there motionless, like a statue. This made Maria very worried. Putting down the coffee in her hand, Maria walked to Howard's side and looked in the direction he was looking. There were countless lines of code, and they were flashing rapidly.
"There is a problem with this data. Some cunning guy got something from the virtual network, I don't know what?" Howard's expression was very grave. He had actually discovered this situation twice before, but he had never caught any traces of the other party. This time, he had finally found it. This guy hid for years every time. If he couldn't catch the other party's tail this time, then he might let this bastard run away again. For Howard, that would be a disgrace.
"Electronic life? Or artificial intelligence? Interesting." The scientist's blood, which hadn't burned for a long time, boiled again at this moment. Howard revealed a happy smile. He had no idea that he was about to catch a big fish, and one that was related to him, and was also an acquaintance. This could be considered a long-awaited reunion, with the prerequisite that he could catch the other party.
"You! You just like these strange and weird things." Maria looked at Howard like this, feeling somewhat emotional. It was similar to the feeling from when they were young. Although they had both been injected with anti-aging Special Agents over the years, time spared no one. Their daughter had grown so big, which gave Maria a feeling of a lifetime having passed. Perhaps she was old; her longing for her child was becoming heavier and heavier. She really wanted to go see Artoria now, hug her child, and kiss her cute cheeks.
"Don't worry! We will see her soon." Although his hands were quickly inputting code, Howard still noticed Maria's mood. After so many years of being married, sometimes there was no need for words; a single look was enough to understand what the other party wanted to say. He knew that Maria was missing the girl Artoria. Although he also missed the child very much, Howard still comforted his wife.
"I will stay with you."
Howard knew Maria, and Maria knew Howard. Though it was merely a comfort, Maria felt much better. She placed her hand on Howard's shoulder, speaking tenderly. With one hand on the keyboard and the other resting on Maria's hand, the emotions between them required no further words.
While the two elders were busy showing off their decades of affection, Artoria on the other side felt restless. Before her sat the Ancient One, a big shot she couldn't afford to provoke, and Gaia, a titan she couldn't afford to offend. She was like a newbie caught between a big shot and a titan, feeling immense pressure. Especially with the way Gaia looked at her, Artoria felt something was not quite right.
"Since we are already sitting here, I will stop speaking in riddles. Gaia, as a god, you should understand that the current world no longer needs gods."
The Ancient One was truly a big shot, starting with such a sharp topic. Upon hearing this, Artoria felt the surrounding air begin to solidify. The most direct sensation was the low pressure radiating from Gaia, which made her uncomfortable. Gently wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, Artoria looked at the calm Ancient One with admiration; she was indeed a big shot, able to remain composed in the face of such an aura.
"Are you finished? Sorcerer Supreme. I know what you mean, but I have no intention of participating in human affairs. The me of today is no longer the Earth Mother Goddess of the past."
I don't know what Gaia was thinking, but she eventually regained her composure and said softly. She truly understood her situation. In a world without faith, gods were indeed unnecessary. She, the Earth Mother Goddess, had long since lost all her believers. She was now merely a powerful non-human, having nothing to do with humanity anymore.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.