"Whether we regret it or not is none of your concern."
Gravik waved his hand, and two burly Skrull warriors immediately stepped forward, pinning Talos on both sides.
"From this day forth, you are no longer the General of the Skrulls. You will remain here as a 'honored guest,' resting comfortably as you witness with your own eyes how I lead our race to reclaim the glory that rightfully belongs to us."
Talos offered no resistance, simply casting a long, penetrating gaze at Gravik.
There was no anger in those eyes—only a profound, tragic pity for a fool who could not see his own impending doom.
He didn't even bother wasting another breath. He allowed the two guards to drag him away into the pitch-black, sunless dungeon.
And just like that, the coup ended with eerie quietness.
Gravik wasted zero time. The moment Talos was locked away, he personally led his cadre straight toward Europe!
In just two to three days, the Skrulls completed a comprehensive, silent infiltration of multiple European governments.
At the United Nations summit—
The British representative took the lead in proposing the "Global Accountability of Superhumans Initiative."
The Russian delegation went a step further, launching a scathing public accusation claiming that America was attempting to monopolize superhuman assets, posing a grave threat to global security and stability.
In France, public outrage against the "private ownership of superheroes" spread like wildfire. Incited by shadow operatives, crowds organized massive street demonstrations demanding "Equal and Free Access to Superhero Protection!"
Meanwhile, Gravik made a quiet appearance in Sokovia, a small, impoverished nation in Eastern Europe.
There, he successfully met with the regional Hydra commander, Baron Zemo.
And through Zemo's channels, he was introduced to a pair of extraordinary young twins.
"Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff..."
Gravik lightly tapped the photograph of the young girl on the digital display, his lips curling into a sinister arc.
"Two 'keys' holding infinite, untapped potential... simply exquisite!"
A short while later, deep inside a secret Hydra facility, Gravik—disguised as an ordinary human—met Wanda and Pietro face-to-face.
Pietro, the speedster, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were razor-sharp and guarded, like a leopard poised to strike at any moment.
Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, sat in the shadows of the corner. A faint thread of crimson, erratic energy swirled around her fingertips as she subjected Gravik to a deeply suspicious gaze.
"So you're the one who reached out to us?" Pietro broke the silence first, his voice carrying the sharp edge typical of fiery youth.
"Indeed. You may address me as Mr. Gravik," Gravik replied with a warm, polite smile. Yet that very smile sent an unexplainable, instinctive chill down the twins' spines.
"I have come today to offer you both an opportunity for vengeance."
"Vengeance?" Pietro snorted disdainfully. "Against whom?"
"Do I really need to say his name aloud?" Gravik paced forward slowly, his voice dripping with persuasive charm.
"Tony Stark. The war merchant. The so-called Iron Man. The high-and-mighty American hero."
The words Stark Industries acted like a jagged blade thrust straight into Wanda's heart.
The crimson light surrounding her fingers flared violently, and the air throughout the room seemed to freeze instantly.
"Our parents... died under a shell made by Stark Industries," Pietro said softly, his voice trembling with deep-seated hatred.
"I know," Gravik stopped in his tracks, looking them directly in the eye.
"I understand your pain. I understand your hatred. But have you ever considered... is killing a single Tony Stark actually going to solve anything?"
He spread his hands in an inviting gesture: "Even without Tony Stark, there will always be another 'Stark.' As long as the empire that birthed him exists, as long as that brand of global hegemony hangs over this world, tragedies like yours will keep playing out in every corner of the Earth."
Pietro frowned: "What are you getting at?"
Gravik's voice grew passionate and echoing:
"Your real enemy isn't just Tony Stark—it is everything he represents! It is the entire superhuman system, the hypocritical global order dominated entirely by America!"
"Peter Parker, the man currently revered as America's absolute guardian deity, has turned that superpower into his own private backyard. Under his shadow, that nation is becoming more powerful and arrogant than ever before!
Tell me, do you think a man like him will ever halt his expansion?
As the saying goes, a meal is eaten one bite at a time. When he sits at the global table and ties on his napkin, which nations do you think will be served on his plate first?"
The words struck Wanda and Pietro's hearts like a sledgehammer.
There was zero doubt—if Peter Parker ever decided to launch an imperial conquest, small, defenseless nations like Sokovia would be the very first to fall beneath his iron boots!
"Join me," Gravik extended his hand toward them. "I will grant you the power and the platform to tear down that corrupt old world with your own hands, erecting a new order that is truly equal and free of oppression."
"And our very first step is to dismantle the pride of their nation—The Avengers."
Wanda stared at Gravik, the scarlet light in her eyes flickering uncertainly.
Pietro turned to look at his sister, waiting for her final call.
After a long silence, Wanda stood up, the red mist around her hands slowly fading away.
"You had better not disappoint us."
Hearing those words, a triumphant, cunning grin spread across Gravik's face.
At the exact same time Gravik secured the twins' allegiance...
Inside the UN Assembly hall, S.H.I.E.L.D. representative Maria Hill found herself utterly overwhelmed while standing alone against the combined political pressure of the European nations.
"Gentlemen! Superheroes are not weapons! They are independent individuals—we have no legal authority to order them where to go!"
"Commander Hill, this isn't an order—this is the unified demand of the global populace!" the British representative declared righteously.
"Is America trying to hoard this terrifying power for itself, threatening world peace and international stability?!"
That political maneuver carried hundreds of years of diplomatic experience—Hill genuinely couldn't hold the line!
Ultimately, under overwhelming media pressure and political arm-twisting—and with a certain major Eastern nation choosing to abstain during the third round of voting—a resolution was forcefully passed:
All American-based superheroes must be redistributed across global sectors for peacekeeping duties, operating under the direct authority of the United Nations.
When news reached Avengers Tower, the main command office erupted into complete chaos.
"This is absolute nonsense!" Tony Stark yanked at his tie in sheer frustration. "We haven't even sorted out our own issues at home, and now they expect us to play babysitter for the rest of the world?!"
"But this is an official United Nations resolution. If we refuse to comply, we'll be branded international fugitives," Steve Rogers muttered, rubbing his temples in distress. After a brief pause, he added:
"Besides, having all of us concentrated in America does make other nations extremely uneasy. If we push those politicians into a corner, the outcome won't be something any of us want to see."
Standing near the floor-to-ceiling window, Gwen Stacy listened to the fierce debate ringing through the room.
Her brows furrowed into a tight knot.
She knew with absolute certainty that an invisible hand was pulling the strings behind this sudden global movement.
Yet with Peter away in deep space, it felt as though the team had lost its core brain—incapable of forming a unified, decisive response.
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