A World in Dire Straits / Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch

It's almost over.

Chapter 278, Section 292: A World in Dire Straits

Las Vegas, in a deep alley.

A staggering figure fled in panic. Just as he reached the street corner, a whooshing sound rang out, and the fleeing man immediately stumbled and fell, his head almost torn in two by a high-speed bullet.

But then, the mercury-like liquid began to merge and flow, and the head gradually returned to normal.

However, as soon as he stood up, his head was flattened by an electromagnetic shield that came crashing down from the corner, and his entire body sank into the ground.

The moment it tried to move, a barrage of attacks—sword strikes, grenades, bullets, and more—bombarded it, preventing the T-1000 in front of it from completing its reassembly.

Finally, the shield-wielding Machine Lifeforms took out a vial of blue liquid from its chest cavity and evenly sprinkled it on the T-1000, instantly turning it into a pool of inactive, silvery-white liquid.

"SCP-191 - codename [Legion], containment of associated entity complete!"

"This week's kill count meets requirements, patrol area cleared, [World Tree] team requests to switch to survival mode..."

Koichiro Yuuki collected the silver liquid on the ground into a spherical metal container he carried with him, checked the quantity, and then snapped his fingers triumphantly.

Accompanied by a clear ringing sound in their minds, the [World Tree] system, which was constantly monitoring their movements, was then cut off.

However, the seven or eight Machine Lifeforms gathered here did not stop operating. They each activated the light screen on their wrists, outputting commands. The Optical Camouflage covering them clearly revealed their appearance and clothing.

"Cheers, everyone! We've got enough points! It's a holiday today!"

Captain Koichiro Yuuki raised his arms in a cheer, trying to boost morale, but to no avail; the somber atmosphere remained.

Just as the group turned to leave, a tiny, silver-gray mechanical spider, no bigger than a grain of rice, scurried away along the shadows from beneath the brickwork.

"Laugh!"

However, a silver Tactical Sword thrown from a distance precisely pinned the little creature to the wall.

Two transformable fighter jets, each carrying a pilot, transformed into humanoid forms and emerged gracefully from the darkness.

"Life is not a game, and there are no clear-cut combat or lifestyle modes. For the sake of your own life, remember to always be vigilant!"

Kevin jumped off the transformable fighter jet, his face stern, and began to lecture in a cold voice. The members of the [World Tree] team were stunned by this sudden turn of events.

However, as the commander closed the distance, he raised the corners of his lips and tapped each of the seven men's steel heads.

"Tell me honestly, have you been thinking about me lately?"

"Waaah, Brother Kevin! Yuki knew you were still alive!"

Konomi Konno, who was the first to come to her senses, rushed over with surprise and tears in her voice, and bumped right into Kevin's arms.

But the next second, the commander's smile froze. His body, still in the posture of opening his arms to welcome an embrace, was dragged along the ground by a tremendous force, finally slamming against the wall, with a cracking sound coming from his sternum.

He forgot... the person in front of him wasn't some soft-spoken, delicate, easily pushed-over flat-chested loli; the weight of this mind-interactive, controllable miniature mecha wasn't much lighter Yuhar Robot.

Moreover, Konomi Konno, charging forward, unknowingly used a booster...

Fortunately, they are in normal living mode now, and the dozen or so miniature torque engines on the mech have been shut down; otherwise, Kevin would have broken at least a few bones.

"It's alright, I can still handle this enthusiasm..."

Kevin stood up nonchalantly, offering a comforting smile. If it weren't for the trace of bruise on his lip, he would have been quite convincing.

At that moment, the Optical Camouflage on Konomi Konno flickered, and the expression on her face, synchronized with her body, revealed guilt; she almost wrinkled her nose and cried out.

"I heard it's a holiday today? Let's find a quiet place and sit down to chat."

The commander took Yuki's arm, rousing the [World Tree] squad members who were still immersed in the joy of their reunion, and chuckled as he made a suggestion.

Half an hour later, in a private room of a dessert shop, after everyone was seated, Captain Koichiro Yuuki signaled to his sister Asuna to give the commander a report on their recent situation.

As a young woman raised among the elite of society, she quickly regained her composure and gave a clear and organized account of what had happened after Kevin's disappearance.

First, from a business perspective.

Cyberdyne Systems and Hammer Industries, which received substantial aid from the military, went bankrupt and were subsequently liquidated by Relevant Departments because they were unable to deliver satisfactory results to their financial backers.

Stark Industries, which had been enjoying great success, profited immensely from this shift in the situation and expanded its scale even further.

Meanwhile, the military recognized the potential value of the Sentinel Robot and intended to nationalize the dilapidated Trask Industries. Fortunately, Tony stepped in to help Doctor Bolivar mitigate the losses and kindly compensated him with some profits.

Therefore, Trask Industries actually benefited from the misfortune, and through its cooperation with Stark Industries, it began to revitalize itself.

Of course, the SCP Foundation and the Crawford family, following behind, can also pick up quite a few bones.

Secondly, regarding the power dynamics among the various parties.

The Avengers have begun recruiting new Super Hero, and as a semi-civilian organization, two of the four founding members (Tony and Kevin) are wealthy financial backers. In addition, the government has given them the green light all the way, making their conditions extremely favorable.

However, S.H.I.E.L.D.. did not give up its infiltration and control over the Avengers. The two sides argued several times over the location of the Avengers headquarters and other terms, but failed to reach an agreement.

Seven days ago, the two teams from the BSAA received requests for assistance from the East Slavic Republic and South America, respectively, due to serious biochemical leaks in both regions.

The problem in South America was relatively simple: some villages had experienced strange disappearances, and Leon and Chris, who were in charge of the investigation, had basically figured out the situation.

They eventually identified the culprit as drug kingpin Javier Hidalgo, and the subsequent armed raid was naturally left to the regular mercenaries of Group B.

However, just in case, Instructor Alice took charge of leading the team, and the Funeral Parlor team from the SCP Foundation also went to provide covert support. This force was a complete and utter crushing force against a group of drug lords.

(Note: This plot is taken from Biohazard Crisis: Dark Ages. Those interested can look it up themselves. Manuela Hidalgo, the drug lord's daughter, is quite beautiful, and the art style is somewhat reminiscent of Final Fantasy.)

The situation in East Slavia was even more complex, due to severe polarization, a serious social imbalance, and a war between rebels and government forces that lasted for more than a decade.

As the 21st century dawned, the war between the two sides intensified. In an attempt to win, the weaker rebels resorted to using a parasitic virus left behind by Umbrella Corporation, resulting in a large-scale infection.

Lara, with her keen political sense, naturally saw the shadow of political maneuvering between the US and the Soviet Union, and that White Eagle and the Soviet Union were very interested in the mineral resources there.

Therefore, this adventurous Countess personally led Team A, a group of ruthless individuals, and even joined forces with the SCP Foundation's Wolf Pack Squad to raid this instance.

Moreover, with the Stark family's existing system of achievements, almost everyone could get their hands on a set of gene enhancers, Cell Repair Fluid, and mass-produced lightweight Tactical Exoskeleton.

Kevin estimated that these guys would probably suffer a bit, after all, the current Female President of the East Slavic Republic had been serving as an instructor for her country's active-duty army and was a very cunning and powerful figure.

(Note: This scene is taken from the CG animation <Biohazard Crisis: Damned>, which can be watched for free on Bilibili. It is highly recommended, especially the fight scene between Ada and the Female President.)

It seemed necessary to remind them; thinking this, the commander couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.

The world is truly a place of great suffering...

Chapter 279, Section 293: Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch

"So, my scientific team is being protected by Tony in the Stark Industries Tower in Los Angeles?"

"And you were responsible for clearing out the Terminator members who had infiltrated the crowd during the Las Vegas battle?"

Kevin ordered a cappuccino for A2, then stroked his chin and asked.

Asuna Yuuki nodded slightly, and to reassure the commander, she explained a few other aspects of the matter.

In theory, the team of scientists remaining in Los Angeles is relatively safe, since 2B has fully recovered, and most of the Avengers Super Hero are active there.

Moreover, Yuriko Takagi, a thoughtful secretary, deliberately kept Yuzuriha Inori by Sakurami Haruharu's side.

This girl's Void Ability are exceptionally strong, serving as a last line of defense. Unless the latest T-3000 model intervenes, she is practically invincible.

Next, it's a matter of how various factions will address the Terminator robot and related issues.

Most of the employees of Cyberdyne Systems were parasitized and have already died. Ivan Vanko is dead, and Justin Hammer is in jail and under investigation. These are all things of the past and are no longer a threat.

With the cooperation of government departments, and with the S.H.I.E.L.D. list handed over by Mayor Warren, S. H. I. E. L. D. was able to swiftly and decisively remove almost all of Hydra's spies that had been planted since World War II.

It's estimated that even if Hydra legion of minions were to lose one and sprout two, it would still need time to recover and wouldn't be able to cause any significant trouble at the moment.

As Skynet's influence on land dwindled, aside from Las Vegas where the portal was destroyed midway, it became extremely difficult to find any trace of these robots in New York and Los Angeles.

But the most troublesome issue is the problem on Three Mile Island: the conflict between humans and mutants.

Although the X-Men, as planned, joined forces with Magneto's Brotherhood of Brotherhood of Mutants and headed towards Three Mile Island.

The group hoped to use this to completely eliminate General Stryker, the military hawk who took radical measures against mutants, and to destroy the Sentinel Robot production line that had been moved here.

During this process, S.H.I.E.L.D.., now free to focus on other tasks, assembled Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Spider-Man to join the investigation and crackdown on the military's extremist departments.

Even though Three Mile Island, after being modified by Skynet, has hundreds of Sentinel Robot, the mutants and S.H.I.E.L.D.., working together, naturally made great strides forward.

However, serious disagreements arose between the two sides regarding how to deal with Stryker and the remaining Sentinel Robot after the war.

The tough-minded Director Nick can tolerate a mutant in a fit of rage killing Stryker.

But after this battle, he couldn't help but feel wary of the mutant community. This minority group, which had long been rejected by the mainstream, inevitably developed violent tendencies and antisocial emotions.

This is especially evident within Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, where they even attempt to use their power to rise above the state and the law.

Therefore, Nick secretly transported the remaining Sentinel Robot and their data to S.H.I.E.L.D..'s secret base in New York as a precaution.

However, how could the actions of S.H.I.E.L.D.. agents possibly escape the notice of the gifted mutant community?

Immediately, Eric Erik, who loved grand occasions all his life, encouraged Doctor Beast, a middleman working in the government, to lead the X-Men to negotiate terms.

On the other hand, the Brotherhood of Mutants stayed behind to look after the comatose Phoenix and Professor X, while Magneto Erik secretly used the existing equipment on Three Mile Island to rebuild the brainwave amplifier.

Afterwards, during the negotiations between the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D.., Magneto finished up the mess by kidnapping the awakened Professor X, preparing to use the brainwave amplifier to cleanse ordinary humans from the world.

In theory, this plan is certainly feasible, considering that Professor X possesses the most powerful psychic abilities on Earth, allowing him to read other people's thoughts and memories without physical contact.

He can read other people's thoughts within a radius of about 250 miles (about 402 kilometers), and can also create illusions and manipulate other people's minds.

The "brainwave enhancement machine" beneath Xavier's School of Thought was built with the help of his "friend" (Magneto).

He can connect to everyone in the world through this machine, whether they are ordinary people or mutants. At the same time, his powerful psychic abilities also allow him to kill all ordinary people in the world with this device!

Director Nick never imagined that his sneaky actions would cause the already eccentric and extreme Brotherhood of Mutants to immediately abandon reconciliation with humans and take radical measures.

Fortunately, Mystique Raven, who had a close relationship with Professor X, received Charles's telepathic message and betrayed him. By impersonating Magneto, she released her old friend at the last moment.

Next, realizing they had almost made a huge mistake, S.H.I.E.L.D.. and the X-Men immediately joined forces and, with the help of the X-Gene weakening agent on Three Mile Island, finally brought Magneto, who was trying to cause trouble, under control.

But the problems that followed remained unresolved, and the crisis of trust between humans and mutants intensified.

The issue of Magneto Erik's imprisonment alone has been discussed seventeen or eighteen times by S.H.I.E.L.D.. and the X-Men, but they have never reached an agreement.

What's even more dangerous is that Lao Wan's gang of henchmen, whether genuinely stupid or out of loyalty, are constantly causing trouble in cities like New York under the guise of "revenge."

This situation has ironically put both sides, who wanted to ease the conflict, in a difficult position.

So, things are in complete chaos in New York right now, and the relationship between the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D.. is on the verge of a complete breakdown.

"They had a winning hand, but they ruined it terribly..."

Kevin was somewhat speechless. It seemed that S.H.I.E.L.D.. and the mutants couldn't be relied upon to take down Skynet.

He couldn't care less about that chaotic, godforsaken place in New York. If things were handled normally, Magneto's bunch of idiots wouldn't amount to anything.

Otherwise, [Apocalypse] would have warned him long ago.

"Alright, notify Director Nick and have him go to the area near the Wanda Mountain in Eastern Europe to find three people: Magda Eisenhardt, Pietro Mark, Wanda Mark..."

"If you're still stuck, you could ask the arrested Hydra members, or investigate the criminal records of the brother and sister in the area..."

"Don't tell me that with S.H.I.E.L.D..'s global reach, they can't even handle something this simple..."

Kevin hesitated for a moment, still feeling uneasy, and finally came up with a solution.

Magneto Erik's deep hatred for humanity stems not only from his early experiences in concentration camps.

In his middle age, he fled to an Eastern European country and settled there, where he married Magda Eisenhardt and had a daughter named "".

Unfortunately, this unlucky guy, who seems to have bad luck wherever he goes, exposed his identity as a mutant fugitive while rescuing a coworker in the factory.

As a result, his coworkers betrayed him, and the police who came to arrest him mistakenly killed Erik's daughter Anya.

Therefore, in his grief and anger, Magneto unleashed his magnetic control power, killing those around him. However, his wife Magda, fearing her husband, fled from him.

However, at this time, Magda was pregnant and gave birth to a brother and sister near Wanda Mountain. Unable to face her past, Magda entrusted the two children to the residents at the foot of the mountain and left without saying goodbye.

This brother and sister pair were none other than the later famous "Quicksilver" and "Scarlet Witch".