Marvel: Randomly Load a Protagonist Template - Chapter 99
As soon as the call connected, Hawking’s first words left Nick Fury stunned.
“Mr. Hawking, today is Christmas, not April Fool’s Day. Please don’t joke like this.”
“I’m not joking. Professor X has been kidnapped by Magneto.”
Hawking quickly explained the situation to Nick Fury.
Apocalypse’s arrival was not just a mutant issue but a humanitarian crisis. In fact, humans would suffer far more.
Under Apocalypse’s rule, mutants with abilities similar to his would be relatively safe and hold high positions, while humans would be reduced to slaves.
So, they had no reason to bear all the burden while Nick Fury, who constantly talked about world peace, sat idle.
Captain Marvel, Captain Carter, Black Widow, Hawkeye, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and anti-mutant weapons and serums would be a significant help.
Especially Captain Marvel, who was unbeatable even when he transformed into a giant ape a few years ago, could be a huge help.
Moreover, he had no clue which Egyptian city Apocalypse and Magneto would act in, and Nick Fury could assist with that.
“Are you sure Apocalypse is as powerful as you say?”
After hearing the explanation, Nick Fury’s tone became much more serious.
Hawking replied firmly:
“Probably even stronger. Do you think I’d joke about this? If you don’t believe me, all the teachers here can confirm it. They wouldn’t all lie to you.”
“But… but I’m currently short on manpower, Hydra…”
Nick Fury rarely sounded embarrassed as he explained.
After the previous attack, he had launched a full-scale counterattack against Hydra.
With Captain Marvel as support, they had pushed Hydra, led by Pierce, to the brink of defeat, nearly clearing them out of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But today, for some reason, Hydra seemed to go mad, launching inhumane terrorist attacks worldwide in retaliation.
This left him overwhelmed, and he deployed almost all agents to help suppress the attacks. Even Captain Marvel was busy firefighting in major cities globally.
If he stopped all efforts to help Hawking fight Apocalypse, many people would likely die.
Given S.H.I.E.L.D.’s infiltration by Hydra under Pierce, the International Security Council had already lost faith in them and reconsidered future funding.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn’t handle Hydra’s terrorist attacks now, the Council would likely cease supporting them, stripping away existing privileges.
The key issue was that Apocalypse might not be as formidable as Hawking claimed. If the mutants fought among themselves and both sides were weakened, S.H.I.E.L.D. would benefit.
This crisis, although solving the Hydra issue, had left S.H.I.E.L.D. significantly weakened, becoming the weakest of the three powers, which was not favorable.
“Director Fury, you need to think carefully.
If Apocalypse transfers his consciousness to Professor X, combined with Magneto, the resulting disaster will far exceed Hydra’s terrorist attacks, potentially ending human civilization.
Weigh the consequences yourself!”
Hawking wasn’t a fool and could guess Nick Fury’s internal thoughts, making his tone involuntarily icy.
He finally understood why Nick Fury had formed the Avengers, linking superheroes into a team.
Because Nick Fury, more of a politician than a hero, prioritized interests and losses too much.
“Alright, Mr. Hawking, I’ll locate Magneto as quickly as possible and send Captain Marvel to support you as soon as possible.
As allies, S.H.I.E.L.D., even in tough times, will not leave its allies alone.”
“Once you find the location, send it directly to me.”
Tired of Nick Fury’s rambling, Hawking hung up the phone.
He knew that changing the mind of someone like Nick Fury with just a few words was impossible, so he stopped wasting time.
He trusted Fury would do his best to find Magneto and Apocalypse, but sending Captain Marvel would likely be delayed until the last moment.
If they won, Fury would claim they had just arrived; if they lost, Apocalypse would also be weakened, increasing the chances of victory.
“Very well, if you play it that way, don’t blame me for being blunt.”
After hanging up, Hawking thought for a moment and made more calls.
First, he sent their location to Peter, Venom, and Jessica, urging them to hurry over.
Then, he contacted J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle, Green Goblin, and his company’s PR team.
He instructed them to spread the news of Apocalypse’s impending doomsday as widely as possible after some adjustments, ensuring the entire world knew of the crisis.
He also contacted New York’s top reporters, inviting them to join and report live on the rescue mission.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t take the lead, he’d make the Hero League the forefront in saving the world.
This would show the world that when humanity faced an unbeatable doomsday crisis, S.H.I.E.L.D. and national armies were unreliable, and only the Hero League’s superheroes could save them.
If this went well, he wouldn’t need Nick Fury’s help with government matters in the future.
Additionally, the revenue for Hero League International would skyrocket.
“Hawking, what are you doing?”
The X-Men, hearing Hawking’s calls, were confused.
Calling Nick Fury made sense, but why all the other actions?
“You all know my goal in founding Hero League International was to make mutants accepted by the public through a superhero company.
Originally, Professor X and I planned to gradually introduce non-mutant superheroes, then slowly add mutant superheroes once we gained recognition.
But this crisis provides an opportunity to achieve this in one step.
Don’t identify yourselves as X-Men from the mutant school when the reporters arrive. Instead, say you’re new superhero recruits of Hero League International who happen to be mutants.”
Hawking explained slowly.
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