Chapter 59: Country Development (Part 2)

A week after the Obax and Silvija meeting. It is now the National Presidential Debate that will be broadcasted to all of Somalia. 

It is a historic moment for the nation. As a young woman, barely 25 years old, have enough influence and support to run for president. Women have been getting trouble entering the, but to run for the national leader? It's unthinkable for them.

Her opposition, Gen Morge, who used to be a war criminal until the United Nation pardoned him. Of course, him being the son-in-law of the previous dictator plays a part. 

The Butcher of Hargeisa, a fatso, which levels 80% of the northern city just because they are suspected as rebels, and the only survivor of the previous dictator's craziness incident. He now becomes a thorn that holds back change in the nation. 

Obax and the opposition stood side by side for a picture. At that time, he whispers to her in Somali "You will never… Ever… become the leader of this country." 

*Snap* Flashes of light bask her and the opposition face as the camera shutters click. She just ignored what he said and posed for the pictures with a smile. He raged inside but kept a poker face.

Only the professional broadcast camera could be recording when the debate started. All the reporters and supporters of the party sat down in the enclosed hall at the Parliament building. 

Among the crowd, a familiar face in disguise can be seen. Another familiar face is in the second-story hallway watching the event with sharp eyes. 

"Anything suspicious Barton?" Phil asks in the earpiece. He is sitting amidst the crowd. 

"Other than the fatso bringing a goat into the supporter seat, nothing," Barton replied. 

There is an intel about a possible supernatural occurrence attack that will be launched at this event. 

Shield had been looking for the supernatural item, even breaking into the opposition party's place, but there is no evidence. They did find out the previous owner before it got traded. 

A deep-rooted in the American government family is supporting the opposition party  and sells the item for the promise of their family monopoly of power there, just like in the era of the previous dictator 

"Should we help the girl?" Barton asks. He liked that the girl had the guts to challenge a dictator regime. 

"Focus on the mission. We will only interfere if there is evidence of supernatural power. Other than that, we will not interfere." Coulson said.

This is Fury's order. If they interfere in another country's election, Shield will be in serious trouble. After all, they are not the CIA. 

The elf is standing at the back of the hall. 

"Let's see, among 24 'bodyguards' that the fatso brought, 22 carry a gun. Two more carry an RPG. How did they manage to enter the parliament building?" 

Corruption runs deep. Even though the previous prime minister/dictator dies disturbingly, his people still believe in him and change their loyalty to his son-in-law. After all, people who have tasted corruption and power are afraid of change. 

They just waltz in the parliament building, whereas Obax's people are stopped to get checked lots of time and are reduced. 

"From 15 people in the entourage, Obax just has 8 left now. Some are stopped for ridiculous reasons. They also take away any firearm that the team brought." Yinsen said in the earpiece as he monitored the entire thing since the party arrived from his position outside the hall.

"Most likely, they are going to take this chance to take out the competitor. They couldn't afford the election. This is the only time that they can make her vulnerable." Annika said to Yinsen that is next to her.

Among Obax's entourage, Silvija is there. She is hired as a bodyguard for a salary of 1 million dollars per week. She is extremely surprised by Obax's wealth. Even though she is the ruler of a country, her country is very poor. 

In her and Obax's discussion previously, a preliminary investment is procured for her company, Silver Sable International. Obax said to her that she will introduce her to a kind investor later on, but Silvija nagged at her instead. 

"There is no KIND investor!! You need to open your eyes and make sure that you don't sell your country!!" She tries to check the contract, but Obax declines her help. 

Silvija is very frustrated in this matter. She needs to wait until she meets the investor to check in case she needs to help her friend. 

Simon Kaggwa, an interviewer from Uganda that became famous after his interview clip became viral and he became the face of a Meme, is invited to ask the questions in the debate. This is when Obax realizes that politics in this country is a joke. 

The question and answer begin before the debate. 

Q- What is your motivation to run for the presidency? 

Obax answered: The people need change. I have seen what the rot of the country did to the people. I say No More! I will make Somalia Great Again! 

She ends it with her campaign slogan that was given by the elf. The interviewer changes the questioning to the opposition. 

The fatso already paid the interviewer to get the list of questions for the debate. He answered with what he prepared before this. 

Q- Why are you gae? 

Answer: It started at a young age. When I see my father with another man, (fighting for our country together) … 

He realizes something is wrong, and his mouth stops abruptly before he could finish his sentence. 

Even the interviewer is shocked. 'Why did I ask that?' Even though he became famous worldwide because of it, he didn't think to do that here. 

The elf is chuckling at his spot. Yinsen smiles seeing him. "You did that, didn't you? Didn't you say you are not going to be involved in whatever happened? " 

"I don't know what you are talking about." The elf said dismissively. 

As the interviewer lost his qualification, it was changed into a proper one. The one that hasn't been bought off. 

The public who is watching the debate is laughing their asses off. "I have always suspected he is gae. Hahaha," Mocking and sarcasm are heard all over the place. 

Gen's face becomes red. He had never been humiliated like this before. 

Q- How are you going to fix the country's economy? 

This time Gen starts first. He takes some time before he answers it. With his 2 minutes to answer, the crowd had to wait 1 minute 30 seconds before he did. 

Answer: I believe that… Um… the country's economy is strong… and we will… err…

A man without qualification. That is who he is. 

Obax is asked the same question. 

Answer: The country's economy is in shambles. Investment needed to be procured to breathe new life into our economy.

With my team, we have come out with a plan to introduce a new industry in our country, to… (long explanation) 

The interviewer seems interested in Obax's answers and focuses on her more. It's moderator bias, but he didn't care about it. He is sick of the regimes. 

The debate officially starts. The opposition attacked Obax with this question. 

"How are you, a young woman with no connection, to procure investment for the country? Other than using your body to serve the investor, who will be confident enough to believe in you? " 

The moderator warns him about his choice of words. Even if the opposition bodyguards start to threaten the moderator, he is not scared. He warns him directly.

Obax smiles at the support and answers calmly." With my meager connection, it'll be hard for me to do it."

"Like before this debate, It is hard for me to finalize a contract and sign it for the sake of our nation." Her statement aroused interest from the public.

She smirks and continues "A 20 billion dollars investment to build an advanced technological city by the Knight industry." 

The crowd is shocked. It is unexpected. The opposition mouth waters. 'I really couldn't let her live. That money belongs to me!'

"You..." Before he could attack again, Obax raises her hand to stop him. "I am not done" She smiles slyly. 

"Of course, my meager connection couldn't do much in this matter. Like when  Stark Industries' Tony Stark, the Iron Man, promises to add an extra 20% fund more than what we contracted with the Knight Industry for the new city. "

She turns to Gen. "Do you think that I use my body for this? Or is my body the most expensive one in the world?" 

The crowd cheers at Obax claims. She got applause during the formal event, in which the moderator had to calm down the crowd. 

The real story is that when Ryan taunts Stark that he is the richest man alive, Stark feels the need to one-up him. 

Tony is also looking forward to the city being built as Ryan said he will take part in it personally. 

He got scolded by Pepper for a few days because of his impulsive action. After all, they are transitioning from the military industry to other industries, so their cash flow is a little tight. With the upcoming expo and everything, she is very stressed. 

She did support the decision for the investment though as Ryan's involvement personally, guaranteed its success. There aren't many times that the kid's action didn't produce an overwhelming result. It's like the kid has the Midas Touch. 

Back to the debate. 

The debate is conducted for an hour, with Obax beating the opposition in every possible way.

Gen seems to have lost it. He said to his people with gritted teeth. "Cut the broadcast." 

Instantly after, gunshots are heard. *Bang bang bang* The opposition party is acting like a terrorist and is shooting indiscriminately at Obax's supporters and the reporters there. 

Silver Sable and Obax get moving. Obax catches a shield that was thrown to her out of nowhere. The shield is decorated to look like  Somalia's flag. 

She stands in front of the crowd and is blocking the attack with her circular shield. "Retreat" she yelled. 

At this time, the camera that was thought to be cut off is still displaying her heroic figure to the rest of the nation, and also Gen's dirty deed. 

'Even if they are dissatisfied with me, what can they do when I become the prime minister? The country will belong to me!!!' thought Gen when he sees the people's faces.

Silvija attacked a random bald man and took his machine gun. She is aiding Obax in fighting the attacker. Not only that, all of Obax's people are top fighters. Even if they don't have guns initially, they can fight off the gunner with their bare hand and steal them from them. 

Seeing his method didn't work, Gen opted for his last resort. "Bring me the goat." 

He took out a dagger and cut his palm. Then, he slaughters the goat by cutting its stomach while it is still alive, making all the innards fall out. 

"m-Beek(What do I do to deserve this)" 

"Coulson, it is getting creepy," Barton said to his earpiece. He is already drawing the string on his bow, ready to shoot anytime. 

Gen took out a sheep-skin parchment with demonic runes written on it. Coulson said to Barton when he saw this. 

"Shoot him." 

*Twip* an arrow flew across the hall, into Gen's head. The arrow penetrated his head. He falls to the ground. 

Although he has fallen, his bloody hand still clutches the scroll. The goat blood is inching towards the scroll that is on the ground right now. 

The attack on Obax ended shortly after. "Whew, that was exciting," Silvija said. 

Obax is focusing on evacuating the people. "The authorities are on the way." Not only the people there are in awe of her, but also the members of the public that are watching the broadcast. 

"She is like Captain America! No… Captain Somalia!! ", this is the public sentiment. 

In the election next year, she will win by a very large margin against her new opponents that people will wonder why they even try.

Obax is very grateful for her lord. With her body strengthened by him (the perfect T-virus), an ordinary attack didn't cause too much trouble for her. 

She can use the psychokinesis, but it took too much of her focus to using it in battle. All she can do is coat her body with it or use it to create an air cushion around her body that could block an attack. She isn't at the level to attack with it yet.

Phil Coulson is going against the crowd and approaching the place where Gen falls. He needs to take the scroll away. When he is near, suddenly a blast of cold air is pushing him back a few meters from his spot. 

There is some frost on his eyebrow. His eyes widened. "What happened?" 

Barton is running to the hall right now to meet up with Coulson. He then saw Coulson being pushed back. He braced himself for the blast of cold air. 

Obax and Silvija are still inside the hall. Obax is using her shield to block the cold air for her and Silvija. 

The blast destroyed the camera, making the live broadcast cut off. People all around the country are smacking their TV to get back the transmission. They want to know what happens. 

In the hall, an extremely cold demonic energy is swirling from the place where Gen's body is barely surviving. 

"Block off the area. I repeat. Block off the area!" Coulson ordered in urgency with his walkie-talkie. 'I fucked up' He thought while taking out his gun. He waited for too long to make a decision.

The flowing goat blood had reached the scroll. The mixture of human and goat blood had completed the ritual for the dark magic. Icy demonic magic shoots out from the scroll into the contractor's body. 

Now, the once incapacitated man stood back up with the arrow still on his head. The arrow freezes, then it shattered into pieces. The contract merges to the contractor's forehead, etching a demonic rune on it. 

*Fwip* 3 arrows fly to the newly-reborn man. It stuck in his arm and leg. The tip of the arrow is loaded with an explosive. It detonated simultaneously, but it didn't wound the demon contractor. 

Hawkeye's eyes widened. Silvija picks up a machine gun and shoots at the man. 

"Annoying flies." A demonic voice is coming out of the previous Gen's mouth. 

"Gen, Stop this. You're messing with things out of human understanding." Coulson said. 

"Haha… haha... Ha.." He laughs icily. He turns to look at Obax. "You're not supposed to bring change. You have offended him... The great demon..." 

Before he finished talking, an RPG flies toward his face and he flies like a ragdoll a few meters back and crashes into the building. 

The people there looked at the perpetrator who shot it. It was Silvija. "What, I thought he was the enemy?" She said haughtily.

"Let's go out first," Obax said to Silvija. When they were retreating, suddenly an ice shard flew towards them. They dodged the attack by splitting up. The shard smashes the escape route and grows into an ice wall. Their way out is cut off. 

"Damn" Hawkeye exclaimed. He drew his bow again and again, shooting an arrow at the monster. Gen's skin turns to pale blue and is covered with ice crystals. 

His head that was shot by the RPG changes entirely as the RPG had damaged him. He looks like an ice monster right now. 

The transformation is now complete. He is now a servant for Ikhtalon. With his newfound power, he is going to take revenge! 

He shots multiple ice shards at Obax. She held up her shield and blocked the attack, being pushed back a few inches. 

"He is very strong.!" She exclaimed. However, her eyes remain calm. After all, all of the things that happened are still within His calculations. 

Coulson is shooting at the monster while ordering his subordinate. "Barton, make an escape route. We need to get the prime minister candidate to safety" 

If both parties are wiped out here, then the country will be chaotic. 

"Copy that boss" Barton is aiming at the walls. Suddenly, the lights went out in the hall, making the place pitch dark. 

It's only for a second before the light turns back on. When it does, there is an additional person in the place. 

A man wearing a dark grey robe, and a mask that hides his facial features other than his glowing, purple eyes are facing the monster extremely close.

Ryan Knight finally makes his entrance.

…

'His blocking of the escape route is out of my calculations.' Ryan scans all the variables there. Silvija, Coulson, and Barton are putting their guard up for the new character.

He is inches away from the monster. He said in a low voice that no one can hear. "Night king?" 

'Did you come out of Game of Thrones?'

The blue man punches his face using his fist spiked with ice. He avoided it by tilting his head and returned the favor.

He punches it in the stomach, making it slide backward.

'Demon corrosion.' He can feel a type of energy that wants to corrupt him at his fist that was connected to the monster. 

'Too bad it is against me.' He activated his magic circuit skill and simulated divine energy. *Psshh* The energy that tries to corrupt him dissipated.

He closes in and fights the monster using close combat. Black energy dissipates at the spot he touches.

Coulson and Hawkeye are looking at each other. 

"Ally?" Barton asks.

"Maybe. All we know is that they are fighting each other." Phil said. The new variable seems to hold it on its own against the monster.

Silvija thought that a physical attack was useful against the demon contractor. She flanks left and tries to attack the monster. Ryan is surprised by this.

Her punch almost connected to the monster's face, but instantly, Ryan closed the distance between him and her and caught her fist using his palm. In his awkward position, he got hit by the ice blast the monster is preparing and is swept away with Silvija.

Hawkeye provides cover by firing at the freak. Obax uses her Shield to prevent the demon contractor from getting near Ryan and Silvija. 

"What are you doing?" Silvija said to the robed man angrily. He wasted a perfect chance. 

[Voice modulator is broken] Ryan who takes the full force of the blast, is unscathed. But his magic suit is broken here and there. He looks at Silvija.

She is a little alert seeing the glowing purple eyes. Suddenly, the guy starts to use sign language.

He makes hand signs. "(Don't touch. Corrosion. You Die.)"

Coulson, who is watching, is shocked. Silvija realizes that he just saved her. He didn't take too long conversing with them. He left once he collected himself.

Using his full force, he kicks the monster after concentrating divine power on his foot. He calls this move "The Kamen Rider Kick!!"

The monster flew and writhed on the ground. "Arghh"  Demonic power is escaping his body. 

The contract is just like a power source. He didn't make full contact with the demon yet. He could use the power, but it's only temporary.

Seeing the enemy weaken, Barton is excited. He shoots at the enemy constantly, until he is only left with 3 arrows.

Coulson, Obax, and Silvija are also attacking the demon contractor. The blue guy feels threatened. The other flies didn't enter his eyes, but the robed man did.

He decided to run.

Breaking the encirclement, he pushes against Silvija before he breaks the wall and sprints to the wood.

The battle in the hall is over. Coulson walks to the masked man. He signed to talk to him, but it was stopped by the guy. "(Just talk)" Is what the robed man asserted.

"Thank you for helping us. Do you know what that thing is?"

The masked man nods. "( Ikthalon contractor. Demon Lord of the frigid wastes, Boreas. He was a Demon who symbolized stagnation and resistance to change.)"

Ryan plans for a big reveal on this. But his voice modulator is broken making him a mute. The impact lessens, or so he thought. 

He can use magic to change his voice, but right now he is simulating divine energy. Maybe in the upgraded level, he can use magic while simulating other energy. 

Obax and all the other people there are greatly surprised by this. Ryan planned to leave, but he saw Silvija's shade becoming pale.

He approaches her. That's when he saw. On her neck, there is a small cut that is infected with the demon's energy. 

Obax is worried and asks hurriedly. "What will happen to her?" 

"(Become Ice Zombie)" 

Barton and Coulson are putting up their guard. Silvija is still processing this. "How long do I have?" She wants to put her country in order.

"( A week at most.)"  

Obax starts to tear up. But a part of her is still full of faith. 'My lord will not abandon us' 

"(But, I'm here)" Ryan signs amidst the depressive mood. Silvija's eyes widened.

He said to the other. "(Turn back)" 

All of them are now showing their back at the duo.

"How can you remove the curse?" Silvija asks. Although Coulson is removing his eyes, his ears are still prying. 

Barton is using a broken glass 20 meters away to peek at them. It is blurry but he can still understand what the guy gestured. It is useless though as he didn't know sign language.

All Ryan said at the time is "(Stay calm)". He opened his mask, revealing his mouth. Silvija's focus is now on his lips, as it is getting near. 

She can feel his breath getting near her. His lips moved toward her… and landed on her …neck. Precisely, at the cut.

Barton is shocked. Silvija is frozen, but not from the demon energy. 

…

At the same time. Outside the hall. 

Two people in monk outfits are standing by in a forest nearby today's presidential debate place. One is a black woman, and another is an Asian guy. 

Sara Wolfe and Wong, the master of the mystic arts from Kamar Taj, are there on the bald one order.

" We only need to trap him here?" Wolfe is a bit confused.

"Yes, the master said he needs to take responsibility for this matter on his own," Wong said.  

"Who is he?" Wolfe asks.

"I don't know," Wong said