The Kain School of Magic has been fully completed. During his years in the ninja world, Kain frequently returned, so he remained well-informed about the developments in the Marvel world.
Betty's father, Thaddeus Ross, has become the President of the United States—an event worth celebrating. Kain returned from the ninja world for two days and had an in-depth reunion with Betty.
However, there was a delay in the construction of the Academy of Magic due to unforeseen events that involved the Kain Group. One such major event was the war between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, which disrupted global stability.
The Hydra conspiracy, exposed by the American government, was in fact a gift from Kain to Ross.
Immediately after taking office, Ross exposed Hydra—a global threat—and rallied the public with his slogan: "Return power to the people of the United States."
He banned both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D., declaring them threats to national security. In their place, a new official organization was established: the Super Personnel Bureau.
Ross's decisive actions caused his approval ratings to soar to 92%. The remaining 8% likely consisted of those who don't spend much time online—or potential criminals.
Under these circumstances, the creation of the Super Personnel Bureau received swift approval and congressional support.
Ross's exposure of Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. earned him the trust of the public and lawmakers alike, enabling him to pass proposals smoothly.
The Bureau, in collaboration with the Kain Group, will initially be staffed by super soldiers and individuals with special abilities.
However, the first class of graduates from the Kain Academy of Magic won't be ready for another seven years.
Until then, Kain will supply magically-enhanced soldiers and logistical support for the Bureau. Congress has allocated $200 billion annually for the program.
"The Kamui space works in this world too," Kain observed.
"It seems my hypothesis was right—this is more like my own dimension. Still, the plan to devour the Tailed Beasts needs to be postponed.
Life's improvements can't be rushed.
But the magical circle can be prepared in advance, within my dimensional space…"
Kain took stock of his gains from the ninja world and outlined his next steps. Since there are no teachers yet at the Academy of Magic, he must rely on Shadow Clones to act as professors across various disciplines.
After all, he compiled the Thunder Magic Grimoire himself, and in the Marvel world, no one else truly understands magic. Fortunately, many courses—like Astronomy and Divination—can be omitted, saving him time and effort.
"The aircraft carrier is almost ready," he mused.
"But something that massive shouldn't be launched on Earth. Once I bring it back, I can release it directly into space using Kamui."
The aircraft carrier, which supports complete internal energy circulation, is essentially a floating city. Kain also plans to explore other civilizations in the universe.
Although he hesitates to admit it, the Kain Group's technological capabilities now rival those of the Kree or Xandarian civilizations.
"We must rise—we cannot fall behind.
If the opportunity arises, I'll attempt to trade with other galactic civilizations… if they're willing."
Meanwhile, Steve Rogers, upon receiving a summons from Nick Fury, turned to the others and said:
"Stark, we need to act fast. We have to secure the Tesseract before the government gets to it. This is Fury's final move—his last use of power to get us back in action."
Tony Stark shook his head and said, "I'm still going to save Pepper. Today is her final court hearing."
The Pepper Potts case had dragged on for nearly a year. Tony had hired an excellent lawyer, but even he was powerless against the outcome. The sentence was like a revolving door to nowhere—Pepper had been sent to prison, expected to die there of old age and illness.
"There's no way to change the verdict now. Our plan from the beginning was to act after the verdict was delivered."
"When? After we escort the Cube out of the country? And then what—return to the U.S. and somehow save her? How are we supposed to do that?"
Tony's sharp questions left Steve speechless. Hawkeye and Natasha, who had been packing equipment, also stopped. It was clear to them that Tony intended to save Pepper first. But from a strategic standpoint, securing the Cube was more important.
Nick Fury's decision to assign the entire Avengers team to escort the Cube showed just how vital it was.
T'Challa thought for a moment and said, "Stark, we'll still have a chance to rescue Miss Potts in the future. But right now—"
"But right now, Pepper needs me."
Tony took a deep breath. He knew how important the Cube was, but he couldn't ignore Pepper. Not now.
The courthouse would be heavily guarded. If Tony showed up, he would likely face a super-soldier unit.
Hum! Hum!
Suddenly, the Avengers' base was filled with the blaring sound of an intruder alert. Everyone immediately went on high alert. Tony activated J.A.R.V.I.S. to assess the situation.
"Shit," Tony muttered after seeing the live feed from the stealth reconnaissance drone.
The Avengers' base, located inside an abandoned factory owned privately by Tony Stark, had been extensively remodeled with both interior and underground facilities. It was meant to be temporary—and secret.
But the U.S. government had moved faster than expected. The Cube had only arrived yesterday, and now, within 24 hours, they were surrounded.
Steve immediately issued orders: "Everyone get ready to break out. Dr. Banner, we might be counting on you. Stark, how many are out there?"
"At least a thousand troops. Five M1A5 main battle tanks, six infantry fighting vehicles, three armed helicopters. They've deployed howitzers and multiple rocket launchers. Recon planes have also picked us up. They're using advanced anti-stealth systems... and the worst part? I saw Umbrella personnel among them."
Every detail Stark revealed only darkened the mood in the room. The sheer firepower arrayed against them was staggering—and the presence of Umbrella agents likely meant super soldiers were involved. Possibly more than one.
And that was just based on Tony's recon. There could easily be more forces waiting beyond the perimeter.
"I'll go out and create a diversion. Get out while they're distracted by the Hulk."
Bruce Banner didn't need to elaborate. He knew that if he stepped outside, capture was inevitable. The government knew who he was and what he could do. With specially designed equipment and multiple super soldiers, they could subdue and contain him.
Steve nodded, then turned to Natasha. "You take the real Cube. The rest of us—me, Stark, and T'Challa—will carry a fake to draw their attention. Your escape is our top priority."
They quickly devised a simple escape plan. Then, Steve signaled Bruce.
Without hesitation, Bruce nodded and jumped from the third floor.
For anyone else, a headfirst fall from that height would be fatal. But for Bruce Banner, a serious injury was just the trigger he needed.
"ROAR!!"
A thunderous growl echoed outside—the Hulk had arrived.
The military commander, upon seeing him, immediately grabbed a radio and shouted: "They've chosen to resist—open fire!"
Bang! Bang!
Rumble!
In an instant, the sound of gunfire erupted—the crack of bullets, the thunder of howitzers, and the roar of tanks all locked onto the green titan. Heavy machine guns spewed tongues of flame, painting the battlefield in chaos.
This time, the order was not to capture alive. The Ross administration had received intelligence that S.H.I.E.L.D. intended to smuggle out the Cube, and so the military had been given full authorization before deployment.
Within the borders of the United States, once the military acts with full force, even organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra are treated as hostile.
With over a million active soldiers and access to detailed intelligence on Hydra's upper ranks, the government had the upper hand. Hydra's only viable option was to flee.
"Quick, pack up all the materials and evacuate—now!"
At a Hydra research base—once a S.H.I.E.L.D. stronghold—only Hydra personnel remained. Over time, they had siphoned off vast amounts of S.H.I.E.L.D. equipment and funding. But now, with Ross in power, they were forced to abandon their position.
Rumble!
A sudden bombardment rocked the underground facility. The ground shook like an earthquake, throwing personnel off their feet.
Suddenly, the base's computer network was breached. On every screen, a soldier in an Umbrella uniform appeared and addressed the base loudly:
"Hydra members: this base is surrounded by Umbrella forces. Surrender immediately. Shelling will begin in 30 minutes if you do not comply. Countdown starts now."
A 30-minute timer appeared on every computer screen.
The Hydra agents looked at one another, then to the leader of the base—a Level Seven S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and a senior Hydra operative. The decision was his to make. But morale was low. Most here didn't want to die, and this was a scientific research facility, not a weapons depot. Too many Hydra agents here would've already drawn Aegis's attention.
The senior Hydra operative tried to request backup, but the transmission failed. He sighed in resignation and announced their surrender to Umbrella.
One by one, the base's personnel emerged and were cataloged by Umbrella soldiers. Only after the final person exited did a soldier report to the captain:
"Sir, headcount matches the intel. Ready to collect materials and data."
"Send in two teams to sweep the base. We have two hours—then it's being handed over to the military."
The Umbrella captain cross-checked a list of personnel and identified a few high-ranking Hydra operatives. He stepped forward and said coldly:
"Sorry. Our boss only accepts scientific research and logistics staff. The rest of you are... redundant."
He motioned for the soldiers to tie them up and set them aside—left for the military to deal with.
Umbrella had no interest in Hydra's leadership. After all, Ross had invested tremendous effort into this operation. There had to be gains to show for it.
This sweep, along with absorbing half of Hydra's and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s talent and resources, was key to Ross's first major initiative as president: the establishment of the Super Personnel Bureau.
Ross initially wanted Betty to serve as its first director. But Kain immediately rejected the idea. Even though Umbrella and Kain's subordinates were willing to assist the bureau, Betty was off-limits. Ross trying to poach her was nothing more than a pipe dream.
…
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