"You dare lay a hand on Betty, and I definitely won't let you get away with it." Ross's pupils trembled as he shouted fiercely, though his bravado was hollow.
"Of course I won't do anything to her, but that's on the condition that you don't do anything to their families and friends.
I don't like being threatened, and I don't compromise easily either, because the consequences of compromise are simply too great." Aaron smiled lightly, then picked up Gaius's Compass and waved it before Ross's eyes.
"I can find her, no matter where she hides.
I can find the others too—the families of everyone who agreed with or supported your plan, including the families of the soldiers taking part in the operation.
I don't care whether they're innocent. No matter where they hide, I'll kill them one by one until you compromise."
"You dare?"
Ross shook with rage. He had never expected Aaron to threaten him so bluntly.
No one had dared to do this before. Whether superheroes or supervillains, they all knew to leave some room for maneuver. Such an extreme approach was practically making an enemy of the entire world.
"I really do dare." Aaron smiled nonchalantly, as though it were no more than a trivial matter to him. "I'm already taking them on an interstellar escape. What wouldn't I dare to do?
Even if I have to kill tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions, it doesn't matter.
Once I leave Earth, let the floodwaters rise."
"That's too extreme, too reckless." Tony said gravely. "A lot of people will stop you, including the Avengers."
"I'm not so far gone that I'd start slaughtering people over a disagreement." Aaron gave Ross a meaningful look. "That is, provided someone doesn't force me to resort to any means