In the end, Viper completely agreed with Hydra's analysis: if Hydra were to march into Avengers Tower with a flash drive and start a massive brawl, even a fool would realize that the drive contained a program meant to severely cripple the Avengers' combat capabilities. Tony Stark would absolutely not leave such a thing alone.
But if a bunch of idiots barged into Avengers Tower carrying a flash drive, shouting "We're gonna kill the Avengers!" and clamoring about using that very drive to wipe them out, then given Tony Stark's personality, there was a very high probability he would analyze it just for the laughs. When that time came, it might actually succeed instead!
Regardless, Hydra wouldn't have to sacrifice anything. By outsourcing it, they would only need to spend a few thousand dollars to get everything done.
While Hydra was busy outsourcing, the price war between Roxxon and Stark Industries escalated to the next stage. With a massive amount of high-quality oil being extracted from Niffleheim and the technology stolen from Hydra, Roxxon boldly announced the construction of oil-fueled power stations across the United States. Dario Agger was determined to push electricity prices even lower than Stark's!
"Now this is a real business war. The most primitive and brutal logic is clashing against the two people who are the least susceptible to threats."
As they were discussing setting a trap for Belasco, Peter gave a helpless sigh. Hearing this, Iron Fist, Danny Rand, asked in response, "Aren't those two afraid of being hit by antitrust laws for predatory pricing?"
Generally speaking, pricing within this industry was determined through internal agreements. To avoid malicious competition resulting in excessively low prices, there was always a floor price that everyone could accept, ensuring that everyone in the industry could make money.
Conversely, if two giants like Stark and Roxxon engaged in unrestricted price-cutting, it would cause a massive number of power companies to go bankrupt because they couldn't afford to provide electricity so cheaply. Or rather, even if they could afford it, the hit to their profit margins would make them prefer selling off their companies.
This would undoubtedly lead to further trouble. Eventually, the power industry across the United States might become a duopoly controlled entirely by Stark and Roxxon, thereby triggering antitrust laws.
However, both sides seemed to have worked themselves into a frenzy by now, and it was highly unlikely they would stop. In fact, opportunistic media outlets had already begun evaluating this unprecedented war from various angles, with some even quoting historical precedents.
"The War of the Currents Replayed: Back then it was oil versus electricity, and today it is still oil versus electricity. Is the war between Roxxon and Stark a reenactment of Rockefeller versus J.P. Morgan?"
Johnny Blaze, who was reading the newspaper nearby, raised his head in confusion. "I know there's a Rockefeller Center in New York, but who the hell is J.P. Morgan?"
Peter opened his mouth but hesitated. Considering the average level of education in America and the Ghost Rider's own background as a stunt performer, it was probably better not to explain too much.
"Alright, what we need to do now is already very clear. Have Elsa and Magik go to Limbo together, let the demons there discover the existence of the Bloodstone, and then inform Belasco."
Strange walked over, informing everyone of the first step of the plan. The others didn't have much of a reaction, but Wanda, who had been listening in, realized something. "Wait, Belasco won't go to Limbo, nor can he come to our world. Even if you throw out the bait, where are you going to catch him?"
Strange snapped his fingers, signaling Illyana to explain. Illyana ran a hand through her hair impatiently before explaining, "First, we need to know what we have that Belasco wants. For example, me—killing me allows him to gain control of Limbo. Or a Bloodstone belonging to our universe, or perhaps, Chaos Magic."
Hearing this, everyone looked at Wanda, who pointed at herself in surprise.
Me?
"Belasco is a follower of Chthon. The reason he desires the Bloodstone so badly is because five Bloodstones from our universe can be used to perform a ritual, allowing Chthon to bypass other restrictions and descend upon our world."
Strange offered a brief explanation. "And Chthon has many things he pursues, one of which is Chaos Magic. In the Darkhold, he left behind extensive records regarding Chaos Magic. It is certain that Chthon also commands a portion of Chaos Magic and is extremely obsessed with this power."
Because of this, Wanda, who possessed Chaos Magic, could easily become a target for Chthon and his followers, and Belasco was no exception.
"And if we want Belasco to take the bait, we must first make him believe that Limbo is safe enough. Theoretically, he will then return to Limbo."
Strange paused here. What he intended to do was detonate the landmine directly before it could go off on its own, while executing the plan along the way.
The specific operation would roughly involve agitating Magik's soul to create two opposing entities within Limbo who would then fight each other to the death. This would make Belasco believe that Illyana's state was so terrible that she was suffering a mental collapse, resulting in two versions of herself trying to kill each other.
Then, the people who needed to play along with Belasco would go to support the 'good' Illyana, while in reality, laying an inescapable dragnet for Belasco.
"This plan basically has no logical flaws, except for the part where it doesn't mention whether I will actually collapse or not."
Illyana couldn't help but mock herself at the end. Wanda frowned after listening. "What if Belasco doesn't show up?"
"Then we can just take the opportunity to fix Magik's soul issues. Although it's been so long that it's impossible to completely repair her soul, we can at least stabilize it again." Strange added, "Either way, it's a win."
While everyone was discussing, Peter suddenly stood up and apologized to everyone as he prepared to leave. "Sorry, someone is causing trouble at Avengers Tower. To be precise... they're launching an attack inside. I have to go help. Sorry, can we postpone the plan for a bit?"
The others looked at each other, then watched as Spider-Man left through a portal. Next, Illyana raised her eyebrows with a hint of excitement. "Aren't we going to help?"
"No, there's no need for that. At least, not for most of us."
As Strange spoke, he used magic to conjure a television, which immediately began broadcasting news of Avengers Tower being under attack. Soon, everyone knew who was launching the assault this time.
Looking at the villains appearing on the screen, Blade even took off his sunglasses.
"Bulldozer, Piledriver, Wrecker, Thunderball... Did the Avengers run into a demolition crew?"