Chapter 178: I, a Mortal, Shall Kill Superheroes!

Sam Wilson closely followed James Rhodes, relentlessly pursuing him while firing harassing projectiles at him.

"Vision, I've got a tail," James Rhodes sought Vision's assistance.

At that moment, Vision was occupied in an entanglement with Wanda Maximoff and didn't hear James Rhodes' words.

"Vision, are you receiving me?" James Rhodes had to call out again, "Knock out his propulsion system, turn him into a glider."

With Wanda Maximoff in his arms, Vision lifted his head, aimed at Sam Wilson's propulsion system, and emitted a beam of energy from his forehead.

James Rhodes' idea was sound: disabling the propulsion system would prevent Sam Wilson from bothering him without causing harm. However, Sam Wilson's agility allowed him to perform a mid-air somersault, dodging Vision's attack.

Unfortunately, James Rhodes was directly above Sam Wilson. As Sam dodged, Vision's attack struck James Rhodes in the chest, damaging the Arc Reactor!

The Arc Reactor was the power source for the suit. Once damaged, James Rhodes lost power and started plummeting towards the ground.

Seeing this, Tony Stark abandoned his pursuit of Steve Rogers and quickly turned back, attempting to catch the falling James Rhodes.

Sam Wilson also turned his focus entirely to James Rhodes, maneuvering alongside Tony Stark to reach him.

Both of them were heading towards James Rhodes, each from a different direction, trying to catch him simultaneously.

However, luck wasn't on James Rhodes' side. Just inches away from being caught, he hit the ground, creating a large crater.

Tony Stark landed beside James Rhodes, reaching over to remove the Iron Man helmet, revealing a bleeding face.

"Scan for life signs," Tony Stark ordered.

"Heartbeat detected, medical assistance en route," Friday responded.

"I'm sorry," Sam Wilson also landed and stood nearby, apologizing.

Tony Stark didn't reply, nor did he even look at Sam Wilson. He raised his hand and fired a repulsor blast, sending Sam Wilson flying.

The scene darkened, and the video ended.

"So, this is the Civil War among heroes?" Scott Lang commented, a bit unsatisfied, "Truly eye-opening, especially for me. Turning into such a massive giant was simply too cool."

"Yeah, everyone possesses unique skills that regular people can't compare to," Nick Fury scanned the group with his one eye, "It's just unfortunate that these remarkable abilities are being used against each other."

"While it's true that everyone tried to restrain themselves and avoid fatalities, accidents are always difficult to prevent," Phil Coulson added to Nick Fury's words, "James fell from such a height. While his life might not be in danger, it would be a shame if he suffered disabilities or other injuries."

"That's right, our heroes shouldn't be getting hurt by each other during battles. It's a kind of tragedy," Bruce Banner said solemnly.

"We should try to avoid such situations," Nick Fury stepped into the group's midst, saying, "Let's first understand how this Civil War among heroes came about."

"The cause of this Civil War seems to be related to a 'signature'," Stephen Strange said, "Captain mentioned to Tony, 'The moment you sign, the Avengers will fall apart.' So, what exactly was signed?"

"We still don't know the specifics of what was signed, but this signature triggered a massive war among heroes. So, I speculate that this signature is something aimed at superhumans," Bruce Banner pondered for a moment. "Some heroes agreed and signed it, while others disagreed and didn't. That's where the division originated."

"Banner's onto something," Clint Barton said, "So, this document aimed at superhumans, is it a contract? An agreement? Or something else?"

"There's another point to note: when Tony arrived at the airport, he mentioned Ross gave him 36 hours," Steve Rogers looked at Tony Stark, "I don't know who this Ross is, but it seems like Tony was following Ross's orders. Considering Tony's personality, this doesn't make sense, right?"

"Yeah, why would I take orders from someone else?" Tony Stark also found this puzzling, "Nick Fury is the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the founder of the Avengers. Even he can't give me orders. Who is this Ross to command me?"

"Unless, it's because of that signature…" Phil Coulson continued from where Tony Stark left off, "Maybe you signed something that compels you to obey Ross's orders."

"Remember the scene where Captain, Bucky, and Tony fought?" Bruce Banner's gaze shifted between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, "When Tony appeared, Captain's words were quite intriguing. He said, 'Sounds like you have a lot of paperwork to do.' What does that mean? Does Tony have to file an application? Seek approval? Considering the video we just saw, this signature likely limits the actions of superheroes. After signing, they can't act independently; they need to follow orders."

"Phil Coulson and Banner's reasoning makes sense," Steve Rogers agreed, "It's likely not just Tony; those standing with Tony probably all signed, and those with me probably didn't."

"The reasoning is sound, but I'm having trouble understanding it too," Tony Stark shrugged, "Why would I sign something that requires me to follow someone's or some department's orders? It doesn't make sense for me to do that."

"Yeah, this is something Tony would be the first to refuse," James Rhodes chimed in. He knew his old friend too well. Tony was rebellious and couldn't stand being constrained. It's impossible for him to obey orders.

"We still don't know what exactly transpired, so we need to remain vigilant," Nick Fury interjected, "If there's something in the future that requires superheroes to sign, everyone should be cautious. We're all friends; everything can be discussed without resorting to violence."

"While the signature might be the internal cause of this Hero Civil War, there's clearly someone behind the scenes pushing things," Clint Barton said, "The reason Tony came to the airport was to apprehend Bucky Barnes, because Bucky was framed for murder the day before. T'Challa's father must have died in that incident, as seen from his conversation with Bucky."

"But in reality, the true murderer in that incident wasn't Bucky at all; it was some psychiatrist," Natasha Romanoff continued from Clint Barton's point, "And that psychiatrist was the one who played the video of Bucky killing Tony's parents. During the fight between Captain and Tony, T'Challa found that psychiatrist and he apologized to T'Challa. That psychiatrist is the one behind the framing."

"So, we can roughly piece together the immediate cause of the Civil War," Nick Fury said, "This psychiatrist, though we'll call him that for now, probably isn't really a psychiatrist. Based on his family's death during a superhero battle, he seeks revenge against superheroes. His method is simple: instigate conflict among superheroes. He initially disguised himself as Bucky, using him to cause harm. This lured Tony into chasing Bucky. Since Bucky is a good friend of Captain, and he's innocent, Captain would naturally protect him. With the added division caused by the signature, the Hero Civil War at the airport occurred."

"The airport battle was just the opening act. The real showdown between Captain and Tony is the main event," Phil Coulson stated, "This psychiatrist used information about other super soldiers to draw Captain and Tony in. He played the video to pit them against each other."

"This person is truly terrifying, manipulating a group of superheroes while being just an ordinary person," Scott Lang couldn't help but express his awe, "Scary."

"Indeed, not only in terms of scheming, but also his intelligence-gathering capabilities are fearsome," Phil Coulson remarked, "Even S.H.I.E.L.D. was kept in the dark about Tony's parents. We believed it was an accident, but he managed to uncover the truth."

[Question 8 begins. Be prepared.]

[How did Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, acquire her superpowers?]

[A. Taught by the Ancient One]

[B. Gained powers when a missile landed nearby, putting her life in danger]

[C. Infused with the Mind Stone]

[D. Innately born with powers, later enhanced by the Mind Stone]

[If answered correctly, you will receive a "Superpower Inducer," which can stimulate the latent powers of a person to a certain extent. Answering incorrectly will deduct one year of lifespan.]

"Haha! This question is so timely!" Nick Fury couldn't help but laugh when he saw this question, "Originally, we were quite puzzled about how Wanda became the Scarlet Witch. But now, thanks to this question, we can finally know."

"This is indeed quite a surprising question," Bruce Banner said, "Honestly, I've never really agreed with the idea of sending Wanda and Pietro to Stark for human experimentation. If this question is answered correctly, then Wanda and Pietro won't need to go."

"Wanda, you absolutely have to answer this question correctly!" Pietro Maximoff seemed even more excited than Wanda herself, "If you get it right, you'll be a superhero too!"

"That's only if I get it right," Wanda Maximoff replied calmly.

"Based on the previous plot, we always believed that Wanda was enhanced by the Mind Stone by Stark," Stephen Strange quickly glanced over the question and options before speaking.

"Actually, I found it strange when Wanda and Pietro told me about the Stark Industries bomb that fell in front of them but didn't explode," Tony Stark also chimed in. He pointed at option B and asked Wanda Maximoff, "Wanda, tell me again, how many days were you trapped there?"

"Two days, I think," Wanda Maximoff replied.

"Two days! A Stark Industries bomb didn't explode for two days!" Tony Stark threw up his hands, "If that bomb was made by Justin Hammer, I wouldn't be surprised it didn't explode for two days. But since I made it, this really surprises me. I'm not saying what I did in the past, selling weapons, was right. But the weapons I made wouldn't have these kinds of quality issues."

"So, you're suggesting that Wanda gained her powers because of that bomb at the time?" Pietro Maximoff asked.

"That's just one possibility, a way to explain why the bomb didn't explode for two days," Tony Stark gestured towards option D, "But this option also makes sense. Maybe Wanda was born with powers, and that prevented the bomb from detonating."

"Is that so?" Wanda Maximoff immediately shook her head, "If I had superpowers back then, or if I was born with them, why wouldn't I have known all this time?"

"Yeah, I don't know either," Pietro Maximoff also expressed his ignorance, "If Wanda had powers from a young age, how could I, as her brother, not know?"

"That is indeed quite strange, but if option D is correct, it explains it," Bruce Banner explained, "Your powers were initially very weak, so weak that you didn't even notice them yourself. Later, you went to Stark for experimentation, where you came into contact with the Mind Stone, which enhanced these abilities."

"So, are we going with option D then?" Stephen Strange asked.

"I think we can exclude option A," Steve Rogers said, "Based on the previous video, Wanda's abilities are either directly given by the Mind Stone or enhanced by it, with no relation to the Ancient One. Plus, the two of them don't belong to the same 'profession.' The Ancient One is a 'sorcerer,' while Wanda is a 'witch.' Their magic is likely completely different."

"Then I'll make my choice," Wanda Maximoff announced her answer, "I choose D!"

[Answer correct! Reward granted!]

A crystal ball appeared on the ground, about the size of a palm. It looked delicate and exquisite.

"So, this is the Superpower Inducer?" Clint Barton remarked as he looked at the crystal ball, "It can stimulate latent superpowers within a person?"

"From this question, we can see that Wanda herself has latent superpowers. It's just that they're not apparent right now. So, does that mean Wanda can use this crystal ball to reach the level of the Scarlet Witch in the future?" Natasha Romanoff said.

"You'll only know if you try," Wanda Maximoff picked up the crystal ball.

The moment her hand touched the crystal ball, it immediately emitted a dazzling scarlet light, like a small scarlet sun, shining so brightly that everyone had to squint.

However, this dazzling scarlet light didn't last long, disappearing after just two or three seconds.

The crystal ball once again returned to its ordinary appearance.

And Wanda Maximoff still appeared to be the unassuming little girl she was before.

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[END OF CHAPTER]