The atmosphere in the conference room became oppressive due to Tel-Rol's single sentence.
Tony's face darkened.
He had prepared a belly full of words, various plans, and even a draft of how to give Tel-Rol a raise.
As a result, the man didn't play by the rules at all.
A piece of paper?
Indeed, for a monster who could wipe a country off the map, let alone a piece of paper, even a mountain would be no different from paper-mâché.
"You... what do you mean?"
Tony's voice was a little dry.
Tel-Rol sneered.
"Isn't my meaning clear enough?"
He slowly took two steps forward, casually picked a grape from the fruit plate on the table, and popped it into his mouth.
"Do you think I would really work for you just because of those twenty billion in debt?"
"Tony, do you think too highly of money, and too little of me?"
Tel-Rol chewed the grape, his eyes scanning everyone present.
Steve frowned, his hand instinctively reaching for the shield under the table.
Natasha leaned back slightly, silently turning on the power to her Widow's Bite on her wrist.
Thor, full of questions, whispered to Banner next to him.
"What is he saying? Twenty billion? Is that a lot of money?"
Banner pushed up his glasses and replied softly.
"A lot... probably enough to buy several small villages in Asgard."
Thor's eyes widened.
Tel-Rol ignored the whispers, his gaze returning to Tony.
"In my eyes, this agreement in your hand..."
He pointed at the thick document in front of Tony.
"...is just a piece of waste paper."
"Like you said, if I'm unhappy one day and blow up New York for you, can you stop me?"
His tone was full of undisguised mockery.
With that, he actually walked over and, before Tony could react, picked up the Sokovia Accords.
He held it in his hand, weighed it, then crumpled it up with a casual squeeze, turning the document that embodied the efforts of countless politicians and caused huge divisions within the Avengers into a ball of paper.
"Thump."
He casually tossed the paper ball into the trash can in the corner.
The entire conference room was filled only with the sound of breathing.
Tony's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
"I came here purely because Aunt Martha was too tired from cooking for me."
Tel-Rol clapped his hands, as if dusting off non-existent dust.
"You have food and drink here, and I don't have to lift a finger, how convenient."
"Since you guys are now messing with this broken agreement and making me unhappy, then I'm out of here."
"It's just finding somewhere else to eat, no big deal."
With that, he really turned around and walked towards the door without looking back.
"Stop!"
Steve finally couldn't help but stand up, his voice filled with suppressed anger.
Tel-Rol stopped, but didn't turn around.
"What? Old Man, are you going to lecture me?"
His voice was playful.
"We're teammates!"
Steve said in a deep voice.
"Oh."
Tel-Rol's response was simple and direct.
"And then what?"
Steve was choked by the "And then what?".
Yes, and then what?
Keep him by force?
Steve glanced at the paper ball in the trash can, then thought of the country that had disappeared from the map, and wisely closed his mouth.
Tel-Rol didn't linger, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
Just before the door closed, he poked his head back in, looking at the ashen-faced Tony.
"Oh, and Tony."
"Next time you want me to fight, the price is extra."
"Bang!"
The conference room door slammed shut.
Inside, a group of Earth's mightiest heroes exchanged glances.
"So..."
Thor scratched his golden hair, asking blankly.
"He just left?"
Natasha let out a long breath, leaning back in her chair, her heart pounding.
"No, he just told us he was never employed."
Tony slumped back into his chair, covering his face with his hands.
"Fuck..."
His temples were throbbing.
In the elevator.
Tel-Rol pulled something out of his pocket.
It was Tony's latest model sunglasses, which he had casually taken from the conference room table; they looked very expensive.
He put on the sunglasses and looked at his reflection in the smooth metal wall of the elevator.
"Hmm, pretty cool."
He nodded in satisfaction.
The elevator dinged, reaching the first-floor lobby.
He walked out with his hands in the pockets of his floral shorts, shuffling in slippers.
Standing at the entrance of Stark Tower, he looked at the blue sky and white clouds, and the bustling traffic of New York.
He scratched his head.
"Oh dear, now what? No place to freeload anymore."
He muttered to himself.
"Where to go now? Should I find some clueless gang to collect protection money, or just rob a vault?"
"Or... maybe find something to eat first?"
Just as he was struggling between eating first or getting money first, a figure with golden hair and blue eyes, smiling like the sun, suddenly popped into his mind.
Kara.
He thought of the girl, remembered her flying with him in the sky, and her expression of both anger and worry.
"Hehe."
A mischievous smile appeared on Tel-Rol's face.
"Suddenly I miss her a little."
"It's decided! I'm going to play with my little sun!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he silently shot up into the sky, instantly disappearing into the clouds.
Smallville, Kansas.
Kent Farm.
Warm sunlight bathed the vast cornfields, everything seemed so peaceful and serene.
But in the farm's barn, the atmosphere was somewhat serious.
Clark Kent, also known as Superman, dressed in muddy farm clothes, stood there with a solemn expression.
Across from him was his cousin, Kara Zor-El.
Kara was dressed in casual clothes, her long golden hair casually draped over her shoulders, but her face was filled with worry.
Next to them stood a man in a black suit with a serious face, General Calvin Swanwick, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
"...That's the situation, Clark."
General Swanwick's voice was heavy.
"Sokovia, the entire country, was disintegrated into elementary particles. Our scientists still don't understand how it was done."
"The whole world exploded. All countries are demanding an explanation."
"And according to intelligence provided by the Avengers, the one who did all this is that... Kryptonian named Tel-Rol."
General Swanwick's gaze fell on Clark and Kara.
"He is your compatriot, so I need your opinion."
Clark was silent.
What could he say?
He had personally seen the satellite footage, that pillar of light piercing heaven and earth.
"He's too dangerous."
After a long while, Clark slowly spoke, his voice filled with deep helplessness and self-reproach.
"His power... is too unstable. I don't know what he'll do next."
"He's not a bad person!"
Kara immediately retorted.
"Kal-El, you know him! He just... he just isn't used to it here yet! He needs guidance!"
"Guidance?"
Clark gave a wry smile.
"Kara, how do we guide someone who can casually destroy a country? With love and patience? What if he runs out of patience?"
"He saved the whole world! If it weren't for him, that city would have crashed, and hundreds of millions would have died!"
Kara's voice was a little agitated.
"But his method was to wipe out that city along with the land! We shouldn't possess such power!"
Clark's volume also increased a few notches.
Just as the atmosphere in the barn grew increasingly tense.
A lazy, slightly teasing voice suddenly came from the top of the barn.
"Yo."
"Having a family meeting? Chatting so lively."
"What, talking bad about me behind my back, and not even including me?"
Clark and Kara suddenly looked up.
They saw Tel-Rol sitting cross-legged on the barn's beam, wearing that extremely flashy floral shirt and baggy shorts, looking at them with a half-smile.