Declaration of War
"So, how does it fit?" Tony said, looking at Owen, who was standing in front of him, examining his outfit.
It was quite similar to what he had worn before; his usual black tactical suit, but with several new additions. Beyond the helmet, the material it was made of looked clearly different, sturdier, denser.
"I significantly improved the durability of the fabric from your previous suit, since now you generate a lot of heat, on top of exploding or whatever you call that ability of yours. I reinforced it with nanotechnology, but not too much, because you said it interferes with your movements. At the very least, it is much more resistant now. And the helmet was inspired by special forces, but with a cooler touch," Tony explained while looking at Owen with a proud smile.
Meanwhile, the rest of the members gathered around Owen, observing the new suit with interest. There was not much to say; just looking at it was enough to feel that it was genuinely impressive.
Owen looked at his hands as he lightly clenched his fists, noticing how the power flowed through his body effortlessly, without discomfort. Then he glanced at the weapons strapped to the sides of his legs. The daggers had now been moved to his lower back, while the old connector bracers had become larger, covering more of his arm. That had been his request; he had asked Tony to increase the length of cable coiled inside them.
"Not bad," Owen said while looking at the small logo on his chest, the V that represented V.I.T.A.E.
"And it arrived just in time for your declaration of war," Tony added.
Owen did not reply; he simply smiled.
…
"It has now been a week since the Superhuman Registration Act was approved, requiring all superheroes who wish to continue operating as heroes to register with the State and accept full oversight of their actions. At times, their powers may cause more harm than good, as was the case with the New Warrior incident one month ago. Many well-known heroes have already registered, among them Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man. The members of V.I.T.A.E have also done so, showing that in order to continue operating as a rescue and assistance entity, they are working under the law at all times," the reporter said while showing footage of Tony exiting the registration building, smiling and greeting the public. Behind him were Nicolás, Pietro, and Wanda. "Accompanying him were Nicolás Hawthorne, alias Sniper; Wanda Maximoff, alias the Scarlet Witch; and Pietro Maximoff, alias Quicksilver, members of V.I.T.A.E."
"Not only that. The captain and leader of V.I.T.A.E, coming out of retirement, former Colonel Owen Colt, alias The Soldier, has agreed to hold a press conference to speak about the support V.I.T.A.E will provide to the new registration law," she continued.
The image shifted to a large hall packed with journalists. Owen stood upright, hands behind his back, in front of a podium covered in microphones. He wore his new suit fully equipped. Behind him stood Rhodey, along with another soldier working for V.I.T.A.E, dressed in a civilian military uniform that displayed his rank on his chest and shoulders; lieutenant colonel.
"Mr. Colt, we already know that V.I.T.A.E supports the new superhuman registration, but what do you personally believe? Do you not think it might be excessive to place constant surveillance on all of you?" a journalist asked.
Owen looked at him with a calm expression before responding.
"It may be inconvenient, yes, but it is necessary for the State to control individuals with special abilities, since there are people who could be even more dangerous than a nuclear bomb," Owen replied dryly.
"You are referring to yourself, I assume?" another reporter said mockingly.
"Correct. If my power were out of control right now, all of you would be dead," Owen said in a cold tone that caused many to freeze and begin trembling. It sounded as though he could do it at any moment.
"Ahem," a journalist cleared his throat, trying to shake off the fear for a moment before speaking. "We know that V.I.T.A.E has dealt with numerous crises, both natural and human, in the effort to rescue civilians, even being willing to destroy an entire city to do so," he said, earning a serious look from Owen that nearly left him speechless, though he forced himself to continue. "So to what extent is V.I.T.A.E truly willing to help enforce the registration law, and how will it do so?"
Owen then smiled; a faintly amused smile, yet one capable of making the hearts of everyone present tremble.
"The registration law requires every individual with superpowers actively operating as a hero or vigilante to register. Likewise, those who refuse must retire, but still provide a record of their movements, since it is dangerous to have powerful individuals walking freely among civilians. Those who refuse will be arrested. Therefore, I will personally take on that responsibility. I will hunt down every unregistered vigilante, one by one, and place them in prison. In a place where their powers cannot be used and where they will be fully controlled; where they will be forbidden from saving others, or even the world itself. A place where their heroes will not even be able to imagine saving a kitten stuck in a tree, because that is what the State has decided. I will become the hunter of heroes," Owen said, his smile growing increasingly violent.
While his words, which were supposedly meant to support the registration law, sounded noticeably dark in reality, more than a few people grew visibly uncomfortable. The entire room fell into complete silence.
"…Ahem. Mr. Owen, it is possible that not many heroes will accept the registration law aside from V.I.T.A.E. Are you saying that you are willing to become the enemy of all of them?" asked a reporter who managed to gather the courage to speak.
"Yes. And if they have a problem with that, then they can come for me. That will only make my job of capturing them easier," Owen said with a smile.
"That will be all," he added, before turning around and walking away.
Owen left the conference hall, heading toward the back area while letting out a tired, clearly irritated sigh.
"Was it really necessary to include the kitten part?" Rhodey asked, walking behind him with a light smile.
"Honestly, no. But it was fun for the atmosphere," Owen replied with a brief laugh as he kept walking.
"Well, the first part of your plan has already started. What comes next?" Rhodey asked.
"That answer is actually very simple. Basically, it will be me against the world," Owen said, his smile carrying a hint of excitement.
…
Meanwhile, heroes all around the world watched Owen's interview with tense, displeased expressions. Many were openly against what he had said, though some appeared to agree with it, at least partially.
"What is he trying to do?" said a man sitting on his couch, a serious look in one eye while the other was covered by an eye patch. In his hand, he held a device that looked like some kind of transmitter.
…
"This guy is insane. Completely insane. I should go there and beat him senseless," said another man, visibly furious, as his body began to lightly ignite in flames due to his anger.
"Stay still. He would probably kick your ass before you could say anything," said a deeper voice behind him, resting a massive hand on his shoulder, as if the heat the other man was releasing did not affect him at all.
"Still… his speech sounds strange," said a woman as she stared at the screen. She watched the man standing in front of the television intently, as if carefully analyzing every word Owen had spoken.
…
Meanwhile, at the Xavier School, all the teachers were watching the broadcast with serious, visibly uneasy expressions.
"We already lived through a hunt once… and now this is happening again in this place?" Scott said, his brow deeply furrowed.
"I thought Owen was different," Ororo said, disappointment clear in her voice.
"We should start preparing. We already know what comes next," Beast said as he quickly walked away, ready to reinforce the mansion's defenses.
The only one who had not spoken a single word and continued watching Owen's statements in silence was Professor Charles.
…
Another person who was analyzing the broadcast with extreme attention was Emma Frost, seated in her office.
…
And finally, at the Avengers' base, all the members were gathered with serious expressions. Especially Captain America, Steve Rogers.