After summarizing all available information, the Avengers finally determined Nimrod's likely targets: the elusive Rogue, wherever she might be, and Hydra's hidden stockpiles of Promethium. However, once the Avengers understood the situation, they suddenly realized there was seemingly nothing left for them to do.
Locating mutants was a task only the X-Men could handle, while tracking down Hydra's Promethium fell under the jurisdiction of S.H.I.E.L.D. All the Avengers could do in the meantime was bolster their defenses.
Meanwhile, the "Science Bros" duo—plus one—planned to keep the rest of the team in the dark while they developed a "baby" version of Nimrod for Ultron to refine and assimilate instantly. They kept this quiet; only the three scientists and the Wasp knew of the project.
Tony kept it a secret because he knew there was a high probability the Captain would object. And if Cap objected, half the team would likely follow suit. Thus, he chose concealment.
While the Avengers waited for developments, President Matthew Ellis met at the White House with the only person unaffected by the recent "U.S. Avengers" malfunction: Carol Danvers.
"Colonel Danvers, I'm glad you could come."
President Ellis greeted Carol with a smile before laying out his request. "As you know, the U.S. Avengers suffered some... complications recently. The Pentagon's tech contractor, A.I.M., was actually attempting to support international terrorism to fuel arms trades. None of this has been made public yet, but I intend to hold a press conference this afternoon."
Carol, dressed in her Ms. Marvel uniform, paused for a moment, then spoke somewhat awkwardly. "Oh, er, I believe that is a correct decision, Mr. President."
"Correct, but difficult. Since the Battle of New York, public confidence in this administration has been steadily declining, and the challenges we face are becoming increasingly insurmountable. This incident is yet another blow to the government's credibility."
President Ellis sighed and looked at Carol. "You were the only person in this entire event who was not influenced or controlled by A.I.M. I hope you will join me at this press conference to explain to the media and the public exactly what happened."
Carol was caught off guard by the President's words. In truth, she had intended to submit her resignation to the Department of Defense. Tony Stark's words had inspired her; she felt that a "U.S. Avengers" team under Pentagon control had no reason to exist. It was too easy for such a team to become a tool for the military-industrial complex or other political conspiracies. She figured it would be better to simply retire and work for the Avengers as a private citizen.
After all, her powers didn't come from U.S. military experiments. Carol was not, by any definition, "U.S. military property."
However, President Ellis's actions had interrupted her plans.
"Furthermore, Colonel Danvers..." President Ellis continued to push. "Do you believe there is any possibility for the U.S. Avengers to continue existing after this?"
Carol wasn't sure if this was a test or something else, but considering she was ready to quit anyway, she decided to be blunt. "It's hard to say, Mr. President. After all, the Pentagon was deeply involved in this U.S. Avengers incident. It's essentially impossible for the public to ever trust that organization again."
"But we cannot be without a superhero organization of our own..."
Before Carol could sense where this was going, President Ellis acted as if he had a sudden stroke of genius. He punched the air with a happy smile. "I've got it! We will announce the dissolution of the U.S. Avengers and build a brand-new team. This team will no longer report to any individual U.S. department; it will be responsible only to Congress and the President himself. What do you think?"
"I think..."
Carol was about to say that this would likely be useless, but she was cut off by the President's next sentence.
"I intend to appoint you as the leader of this new team, Colonel Danvers. You are an Air Force officer, but you haven't served in a front-line unit for a long time. You understand leadership, yet you have no direct ties to the Pentagon's inner circles. Moreover, you are the only bright spot from the former U.S. Avengers, and an outstanding, independent woman."
"If you are willing to undertake the reconstruction of this new team, I will grant you full leadership authority. You will select the members of this new team yourself and execute missions at your own discretion, provided they do not violate the Constitution. You will have the power to shape a superhero team in your own image—an ultimate team!"
At this point, President Ellis seemed to have an epiphany. "Ah, the Ultimates. That's a fine name, don't you think?"
"Mr. President? I..."
"You don't need to worry about me, Colonel Danvers. This will be your team. I have only one order for you: create a team that is distinct from the Avengers, something 'All-New and All-Different'." President Ellis, borrowing the phrase from Tony's new armor, looked at Carol. "Your only task is to lead the Ultimates to protect the American people and save them from any possible attacks or conspiracies."
"You will have the full support of the White House, because I personally believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that you want to make our country and this world better—and that you have the power to do it."
Finally, President Ellis gave Carol an "opportunity to think." "Of course, nothing is set in stone yet. We will announce the final conclusion at the press conference this afternoon. Whether the American government chooses to stand up where it fell or stay down for good depends on you, Carol."
Meanwhile, at the docks belonging to A.I.M.—the site of the recent battle.
A S.H.I.E.L.D. team was cleaning up the battlefield. Much like Coulson's "Bus" team, they were responsible for inspecting the areas where the Avengers had fought to see if any problems had arisen or if any dangerous items had been overlooked.
From what they already knew, the Extremis-derived "Centipede Virus" had already appeared on the market. Who exactly had leaked these things?
Setting that aside for the moment, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had to process everything else. At the spot where Iron Man and Killian had fought, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent dug something up.
It was a head—Killian's own head. It radiated a scorching heat, as if it hadn't quite cooled down yet—or perhaps, as if it weren't entirely dead.
"Unbelievable..."
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who found the head couldn't help but mutter to himself before surreptitiously packing it away. Nearly all of A.I.M.'s projects had been declared failures or bankrupt, except for one project that had remained unknown to S.H.I.E.L.D. or the U.S. government. And Killian's head was a very suitable experimental specimen.
It was titled: "Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing."
Commonly known as M.O.D.O.C.
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A new Demon Slayer fanfic has been uploaded! Don't forget to check it out—it's really good and I think you'll love it.