174

Chapter 174: Signs of Split

"Well said!"

Thor suddenly applauded. "You've hit on a very critical point.

When these politicians who consider themselves above us introduced the bill, they never thought about whether we would not accept it.

They didn't consider us at all as equals but merely as entities to be controlled."

"Perhaps in their eyes, we are the weaker side, merely obligated to accept without the power to refuse. But the truth is, we are the ones who should be making decisions!"

Thor's words were intense.

"Hey, calm down..." Stark scrambled to diffuse the tension.

He whispered, "Some of our actions have indeed led to significant mistakes in the public eye. We need the bill to regain trust. Believe me, we only made a small compromise to keep some maneuvering room. If there's a complete break, then…"

"Stop, stop!" Thor interrupted Stark, suddenly realizing that the scientific genius was politically naive.

"First of all, as far as I'm concerned, the trust of the people isn't as important as dancing with Natasha. It's not that I need their trust, but that they need my protection!"

"Then, I don't care about breaking with the council! When two parties have a dispute, one party must compromise, but it will not be me! Thanos, the greatest villain of the universe, can't make me compromise—what are those politicians compared to him? If it weren't for the Sorcerer Supreme, Earth would still be under Asgardian rule.

Now, you want to position yourselves as masters and enslave me, the future King of Asgard?"

Stark was at a loss for words. He suddenly realized that Thor's points were quite reasonable. As an alien prince, how could he come to Earth just to be a pawn for others?

"The last point, I understand your meaning: first compromise and sign the agreement, then fight for more rights for us, right?"

Stark nodded; he had thought so.

"However, the reality is that the opponent will only push forward step by step and will never willingly give up the power they have gained. In other words, the places we least want to compromise are precisely what the opponent desires the most."

"And then, what will you do? Either compromise entirely or violate the agreement and face legal consequences from the other party, even if the conflict is unjust."

"I'm glad we didn't have this bill four years ago, otherwise, nukes would have gone off in New York.

Tony, what would you have done if the board had ordered you to drop a nuke and detonate it in New York? According to the bill's terms, they could have even threatened Pepper Potts to make you comply."

Stark was speechless.

The situation was clear: only Stark, Rhodes, and Vision supported signing the agreement.

There was also Black Widow in the original discussion, but she was originally a moderate. Now, with Thor's firm stance, she was also leaning toward him…

Even non-S.H.I.E.L.D personnel like Skye and Sharon sided with Thor.

Stark's face darkened.

"Alright, don't dwell on it. Stark and I will go to the signing site in Vienna and try to persuade the representatives of various countries to amend the agreement and show us the respect we deserve. Thor, will you join us?"

Stark nodded in agreement, seeing it as the best approach to address the situation. He had a premonition of the Avengers' impending split.

Thor shook his head in disbelief. He didn't like Captain America's idea. Meeting with these politicians felt like a waste of time.

Besides, as he had said, they were not qualified to demand his presence for consultations; the reverse was nearly the same.

As top Asgardians, arrogance was ingrained, but good upbringing taught them to treat everyone and every race with respect. However, when someone crosses the line, Thor thought, "Sorry, but I am a god and I look down upon you mortals as ants!"

"No, regardless of his choices, they are his own. I will not and cannot interfere with him. Don't make it difficult for me!"

Betty Ross, holding the phone, felt conflicted.

For years, General Ross rarely contacted her. Unexpectedly, the rare occasion when he reached out was to ask her to persuade Thor to support the bill.

General Ross was very aware that Thor would be the biggest obstacle, and removing him would make it easier to control others, even if they disagreed.

But Betty was unwilling to let Thor make a decision against his will on her account. She also knew that Thor was principled and would not yield on matters of principle because of a woman.

After ending the call, Betty sat on the sofa, her eyes red.

"What's wrong? Did you have a fight with your father?"

Thor's gentle voice broke the silence.

Betty Ross remained silent.

Thor hugged her gently. "This is politics, and politicians are not suitable for you. I'm sorry for involving you in this. Don't worry, your father is your father, and you are you. This has nothing to do with you."

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