The darkness of the sewers did not shelter Leo Cohen for long.
The blinding beam of light illuminated the corner where he was hiding, and also his face, covered in mud and with sunken eyes.
"Found it! The monster is here!"
An excited voice came from above.
Immediately afterwards, a blond, blue-eyed figure descended from the sky and landed steadily in front of him.
He is the captain of the " New Guardians ".
Leo Cohen did not resist; he laughed as he watched this "hero" who had risen to power by stepping on his reputation.
The " New Guardians " captain frowned slightly; he was very dissatisfied with the criminal's reaction.
This wasn't in the script.
He stepped forward and delivered a clean and decisive chop to the back of Leo's neck.
The world was plunged into darkness.
When Leo Cohen wakes up, he finds himself in a glass cage with a television in front of him broadcasting a trial live.
A person who looks exactly like you stands in the very center of the courtroom.
The courtroom was packed.
On the judge's bench, an elderly man with gray hair struck the gavel, his expression solemn.
The jury members were all indignant.
People in the stands held up signs that read "Severely punish the devil" and "Death to scum."
"Defendant, Leo Cohen," the prosecutor stood up, his voice booming, "Do you admit to illegally entering a private residence in Queens on the night of the 15th of this month and intending to assault a ten-year-old girl?"
I'm asking you a question! You beast!
In the audience, a man stood up and forcefully smashed the beverage bottle in his hand towards the defendant's dock.
"Quiet!"
The judge tapped his gavel.
Leo Cohen, sitting in the dock, looked up, surveyed everyone in the courtroom, and finally fixed his gaze on the prosecutor's face.
I admit it.
Leo's voice echoed throughout the homes of countless people watching the live stream.
"Scumbag!"
Kill him!
The courtroom erupted in chaos; the people's curses seemed to lift the roof off.
The prosecutor then read out a long list of crimes Leo had never committed, from stealing relief supplies to colluding with gangs, each with "conclusive evidence."
Finally, the judge stood up.
He delivered a ten-minute speech in a somber tone, praising the fairness of the law and sincerely thanking the Vought International and " New Guardians " for bringing peace to New York.
"I hereby announce!"
The judge's voice rose.
"Defendant Leo Cohen, convicted of multiple crimes, is sentenced to three hundred years imprisonment, to be served immediately, without parole!"
"Bang!"
The gavel fell.
Inside the glass cage, the real Leo Cohen watched the absurd scene on the screen, watching the sinner with his own face being handcuffed and taken away.
He didn't shout, he didn't struggle.
He just smiled.
At first, it was a low chuckle, then the laughter grew louder and more frantic, until finally he covered his face and squatted on the ground, his shoulders trembling violently.
So, this is the ending.
S.H.I.E.L.D.., Triskelion.
"Asshole!"
Nick Fury slammed his fist on the table.
The screen in front of him was frozen on the image of Leo Cohen being put into a prison van.
The headline read, "Trial of the Century! Phantom Deserved His Punishment! New York Celebrate Victory!"
"They didn't even give us a chance!" Maria Hill stood to the side, her expression grave. "From arrest to trial, less than four hours."
Fury stared intently at the Vought International's "V" logo on the side of the prison van on the screen.
The power this business empire has demonstrated has exceeded his expectations. Its control over public opinion and its infiltration of the judicial system are so rapid that even he, as a top intelligence chief, feels a chill run down his spine.
Fury felt a long-forgotten sense of powerlessness.
The one who made him feel powerless back then is Vought, and the one who makes him feel powerless now is still Vought.
Holy crap!
Lynn Morris was sitting leisurely on the sofa, an orange cat lying on his lap, purring contentedly.
This cat, named " Goose," was rescued by Selene Kayle from the Project Pegasus base. It is very affectionate and especially loves Lynn.
Lynn casually stroked the orange cat's soft fur.
A soft beep came from the office's internal communication system.
A coded message with an Ω encryption level was displayed directly on the tablet computer next to him.
From: Barbara Minerva.
The content is very brief.
Nick Fury has classified " Vought " as a maximum threat. The S.H.I.E.L.D. ' Ancient Relics Database has been frequently accessed, with cross-referencing pointing to a specific area: deep within the Amazon Rainforest. Based on internal S.H.I.E.L.D.. intelligence, they have pinpointed the growth range of the " Blood Orchid."
Blood Orchid.
This reminded Lynn of Abraham Erskine, whom he had met many years ago when he was a war correspondent.
It has to be said, S.H.I.E.L.D..'s efficiency is really slow.
It took so many years to realize that.
Lynn raised her hand and tapped lightly on the tablet, pressing another communication button.
Motoko Kusanagi's calm face appeared on the screen.
"Boss."
"Find the Soldier Boy something to do, take them to the Amazons."
The training room was a complete mess.
The walls were covered with burn marks and fist marks.
The Soldier Boy was panting heavily, leaning against the corner of the wall with a disgruntled expression.
His shield lay to one side, its edges slightly reddened from the intense heat.
Not far away, Yasuo was leisurely wiping his longsword with a cloth, without even breaking a sweat.
In mid-air, Jim Hammond the Human Torch buzzed around like an annoying fly, his Flame raising the temperature of the entire training room by several degrees; the Soldier Boy felt as if his uniform was about to catch fire.
His face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Ever since that last fight with the Kree, these "peaceful" days have been pure torture.
One of his training opponents was a flying Pyro, whom he couldn't reach at all.
The other was a knife user, whose movements were faster than a ghost. His pride and joy, as well as his fighting skills, were a joke in front of his opponent.
What kind of training is this? It's clearly a sandbag.
He craved war, the smoke of battle, and bloodshed, rather than playing house with two monsters in this godforsaken place.
He needs enemies, he needs a target he can wreak havoc on.
The Soldier Boy who repeatedly searched for Lynn said he could maintain peace in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, just like other heroes.
No matter what I say, that bastard Lynn will reject me without hesitation!
The reason is simple: he is a soldier, and soldiers are only suited for war.
Just then, the red alarm light on the top of the training room started flashing.
It is the call of the " Clock Tower ".
The Soldier Boy's eyes finally regained their sparkle.
A holographic projection appeared in the center of the training room, Motoko Kusanagi's voice rang out.
"New mission."
A task briefing pops up on the screen.
[Operation Codename: Weeding ]
[Mission Location: Amazon Rainforest, Coordinates Sent]
[Mission Objective: Retrieve all " Blood Orchid " plant samples within the designated area]
[Potential Threat: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ]
[Operation Authorization: When encountering hostile targets, lethal force is permitted]
The Soldier Boy's eyes were fixed on the words " S.H.I.E.L.D.." and "deadly force."
He picked up the shield from the ground, a hopeful smile spreading across his face.
"Finally, something fun to do!"
He twisted his neck, making a clicking sound.
"Hopefully, those uniformed government lackeys are a bit more solid than these training targets."