Chapter 360: Chapter: 360
Mark's tasks on this end had mostly been completed; what remained was to see if the other two teams could successfully accomplish their assigned missions as well.
The first team to return was the duo of Natasha and Coulson. The current state of Europe was an undeniable reality presented before the eyes of the World Security Council, leaving them with no choice but to respond.
In fact, when the Council members personally witnessed that the reports mentioned by Coulson had indeed materialized, they were genuinely startled.
However, the reason for their shock was not the significant changes occurring in Europe, but rather Coulson's earlier application for action. This was equivalent to accusing them of being aware but inactive in the face of this event, leaving them guilty of inaction.
For their future political careers, this was a major stain; if subsequent remedial actions didn't yield results, their political careers would effectively come to an end. The captivating power they held would slip into the hands of others, and years of cultivation would vanish into thin air.
In this context, the World Security Council members naturally couldn't afford to act passively any longer. With one decisive command, all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, regardless of their mission locations, were ordered to immediately return to the Triskelion headquarters, awaiting further assignment and deployment.
Meanwhile, several nations situated along the border of Europe had already taken action under the coordination of the United Nations. They had dispatched substantial military forces to construct defensive structures cutting off the transcontinental routes and guarding critical passages.
Even the Avengers, who had often been at odds with the United Nations, were granted exceptional autonomy this time. They were permitted to act according to their own judgments and make prompt responses in the face of changing circumstances.
The sole requirement for the Avengers was to put forth their utmost effort to resolve the crisis in Europe.
"It seems these officials are truly anxious this time. They've completely disregarded their own reputation and granted us full autonomy.
Our previous deadlock wasn't due to excessively stringent conditions, but rather their insufficient interests. Yet, when everything is coated in a veneer of righteousness, their performances could even deceive themselves."
Coulson listened to Mark's rant about their superiors with a mix of embarrassment and understanding. Having been a civil servant for so long, he was well acquainted with the bureaucratic tendencies of these leaders. Mark's scolding was indeed accurate and illustrated how profoundly their bureaucratic mindset had hindered the efficiency and realization of their organizational tasks.
Recalling the frustration he had experienced under these officials' rule, Coulson couldn't help but mutter a few choice expletives in his mind about their mothers, then shifted the conversation back to the main topic.
"Tony's also agreed to lend a hand, but he needs to make a stop at the Avengers Compound first to change into his new armor. So, he'll arrive a bit later than us."
Just as Coulson finished speaking, Mark received a report from Baymax, "Sir has arrived at the main entrance."
"Speaking of the devil, he's here, Coulson. My old man's arrived, but it seems he's too embarrassed to come in. Let's go down and meet him."
...
Outside the main entrance on the ground floor, Tony and Rhodey had already touched down, but they hadn't directly entered the lobby. Instead, they were sneaking around at the entrance, peeking inside cautiously.
Clap!
"Dad, why are you lurking out here instead of going in?" Mark suddenly appeared behind Tony and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
However, this simple action caused Tony to jump like a startled rabbit, his eyes nearly popping out of his sockets.
"What are you doing? Don't you know scaring people can lead to a heart attack? And where was I being sneaky? I was just maintaining a necessary sense of vigilance."
Tony kept patting his heart, his breath slightly accelerated from the shock he had just received. Even in such a state, Tony didn't forget to find excuses for himself, truly preferring to suffer than lose face.
"Oh, I see!" Seeing his old man looking so guilty, Mark immediately understood why Tony was avoiding a direct entrance.
"You're worried about feeling awkward when you meet Captain, don't know how to face him, right?"
"Nonsensical... Utter nonsense! Why would I feel awkward? If anyone should feel awkward, it should be Steve when he sees me. He's the one who doesn't know how to face me!
Hmph! I'm going to walk in there openly to show you that I'm not backing down."
"Alright, alright, you don't have to pretend. We've been living together for so many years, don't I know you well enough? Relax, Captain and Pete are still out on a mission and haven't returned. Besides, you're going to the lab to work a bit. You and him won't cross paths for a while."
After hearing Mark's words, Tony let out a discreet sigh of relief. However, he executed the action so subtly that it was practically imperceptible.
But Mark wasn't an ordinary person, let alone after undergoing the modifications from the "Heaven's Eye Virus" that granted him enhanced informational vision. Tony's small gesture was naturally not hidden from his eyes.
Tony, who had been discovered by Mark regarding his facade of bravado, finally let his guard down and reverted to his usual self. Throughout their journey to the laboratory, he cracked numerous jokes, aiming to prove that he wasn't afraid of face-to-face interactions with Captain.
However, once they entered the laboratory, Tony's demeanor shifted. His entire presence exuded seriousness. This time, both he and Mark carried an immense responsibility on their shoulders. The success of reversing the crisis rested upon them, particularly on the antidote they were preparing to develop.
"Now, do we have any known information about the Regeneration Serum released by Green Goblin in Europe? How's the progress on the experiments?"
Once he entered his work mode, Tony immediately began to gather information about the research's progress.
"As of now, we know that the Regeneration Serum project was initially launched by Dr. Curt Connors to treat patients with limb deficiencies. The inspiration behind it was to transfer the gene expression mechanism responsible for the regeneration of a lizard's tail to the human body, allowing humans to acquire similar regenerative abilities in cases of limb loss.
However, you're already aware of the situation across the entire European continent. This project ultimately ended in failure.
I've already extracted blood samples from the Lizard People and had Baymax analyze them for me. However, if we want to expedite the research progress on the Reversal Serum, we need Captain and the others to bring back the Regeneration Serum samples and research data as soon as possible."
Mark had just finished speaking when Baymax delivered excellent news to the lab, "Master, Captain and Pete have returned!"
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