Chapter 20

The most ridiculous part was...

A psychic force was trying to invade his mind!

Although it was blocked by the Sheep Talisman, that psychic force was extremely strong. If it were to attempt a "brute force entry," it could still read his thoughts!

"Please don't worry, host. Your soul is where the system resides and won't be invaded by any external force!"

Vex let out a breath of relief.

He then used the Sheep Talisman to extend psychic protection around Kara.

Only then did he turn his displeased gaze toward Professor X.

"In our world, invading someone's thoughts is the same as declaring war." Vex said sternly.

Kara, too, finally realized what was happening, and her eyes started glowing red!

This prompted the others to raise their guard, with glowing red eyes and claws at the ready. The atmosphere became extremely tense, with a fight seemingly moments away!

*Buzz*

Time seemed to freeze as a red flash of lightning was halted, frozen next to Vex.

It was Barry!

Luckily, Barry's hands weren't clenched into fists. Instead, he had his arms outstretched toward Professor X and the others, as if trying to stop the fight.

Seeing this, Vex's expression softened a bit.

Meanwhile, the other heroes, including Homelander, were shocked. The name "Flash" was well-known to everyone present, yet Vex had effortlessly frozen him?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Professor X quickly apologized. "I was only—"

"It was my decision!" Fury took responsibility. "I needed fast and accurate intel on the situation, so I asked Professor X to help. S.H.I.E.L.D. is willing to offer three artifacts to make up for the offense."

Sharon hurriedly stepped in, standing between them with a pleading look at Vex.

"Vex, this was just a misunderstanding! Please don't make a move!"

Meanwhile, Lewis boldly stepped around Sharon to stand firmly at Vex's side.

As for Natasha, she didn't even move an inch.

In an instant, the allegiances became clear.

Vex wasn't overly concerned about this. From the moment he won over Sharon and Natasha, he knew they were loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Earth's cause.

Besides, though he was angry earlier, he wasn't planning on completely burning bridges. He just wanted to make a point—let Fury and the others understand the consequences of crossing his boundaries.

Unexpectedly, he also managed to get three artifacts in the process. It was a win.

Vex's expression softened slightly, but he still kept a stern face as he released Barry.

"Now for the intel..." Vex explained everything he had analyzed, without holding back.

Kara remained silent.

Once Vex finished speaking, everyone fell into a heavy silence.

So... it didn't matter whether they cooperated or not—Earth was doomed either way?

"I knew it! Those aliens can't be trusted!" Tony scoffed. "Get ready for battle."

After saying that, Tony seemed to realize something and flashed a grin at Vex, shrugging.

"I meant the aliens up there, not you guys."

That explanation...

Honestly, it would've been better left unsaid. It had a hint of sarcasm and passive aggression.

Since this version of Tony hadn't yet learned certain harsh lessons, he was still quite difficult to deal with.

So...

Vex shot a beam of light straight at Tony's chest, transforming him into a clownfish that immediately started flopping wildly on the deck.

Monkey Talisman: Animal Transformation!

The Monkey Talisman originally allowed him to turn into animals himself, but thanks to a "set bonus," it now had a short-range effect on others.

Everyone was stunned!

Was this for real?

"Vex, Stark just has a bit of a sharp tongue. He didn't mean any harm!" Fury stepped in as the peacemaker. "Please change him back."

"I can," Vex said with a friendly smile. "For one artifact."

What else could Fury do? He didn't want to part with another artifact, so he turned to the flopping clownfish.

"If you agree to the deal, stop flopping."

"Otherwise, keep on jumping."

What choice did Tony have?

Bet on Vex changing him back out of goodwill?

Who knew how long that would take!

Besides, as a clownfish, his respiratory system had changed. Lacking water, he was already feeling the suffocating pull of death!

That's why he had been flopping in the first place.

After weighing his options, Tony stopped flopping and reluctantly agreed to the "territorial concessions."

Fury looked at Vex as if to say, "See?"

Vex waved his hand, and a beam of light restored Tony to normal.

The first thing Tony did upon returning to his human form was take a deep breath. Never before had air smelled so sweet!

Now, everyone had their own opinion of the ever-smiling Vex—he was a smiling devil.

He might seem easygoing, but if you touched his reverse scale, his retaliation was swift and merciless!

With the little spat resolved, Fury was about to speak again when—

*Beep—Beep—Beep—*

The familiar sound of alarms blared across the room.

There was no need to guess...

Zod's forces had made a move!

So...

Clark's negotiations had probably fallen through.

War...

Was upon them!!!

—-—

"Kryptonian ship detected!"

"A large number of small crafts have been launched, over 3,000 vessels!"

"They are spreading across nations worldwide!"

...

Reports came in one after another, and images were projected onto the central screen.

Numerous small crafts were entering the atmosphere, creating a massive meteor shower that covered the globe!

Such a large-scale operation, without any form of communication or notice, was effectively a declaration of war.

Fury's face was dark with anger, and everyone else looked equally grim.

"What are you waiting for?" Tony shouted angrily. "They've declared war! Why are you still—"

*Boom*.

°°°

A/N: Stonezzz, zzz~

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