112. Loki's Return: The Guardians of the Great Wall Assemble!

To be honest, the Joker’s idea was a bit whimsical.

An entire city like New York is not like the hospital that Director Nolan blew up, where you can just buy an abandoned factory and renovate it; to take it down requires much more than money. This is simply not something the President alone can decide. Even if you were to gift the President the power of immortality, it would be futile—even if you granted it to his entire family, his secretaries, his mistresses, and even the male concubines of his wife, and their respective lovers.

However, just because the President cannot do it doesn't mean no one else can.

Below the President, there is the Vice President, and this Vice President has a daughter who lost half a leg in an accident. For the sake of his daughter, the Vice President could act under the President’s name, and when the time comes, shift all the blame onto the President. Not only would he heal his daughter’s leg, but he would also smoothly ascend to the presidency. Wouldn't that be delightful?

Therefore, the Vice President is the Joker’s target, though there is no need to explain these details to Madame Gao.

Across from him, Madame Gao hesitated.

The Joker smiled. Hesitation means consideration, and consideration means the possibility of agreement. As the Joker once said, if something is capable of happening, it will inevitably happen. As long as Madame Gao did not refuse to cooperate on the spot, the Joker had already won this game of chess.

There are five elders in The Hand, and choosing to approach Madame Gao was a decision made after the Joker’s investigation and analysis. The odds were high because she is neither white, nor black, nor Japanese.

While the Joker was negotiating with Madame Gao and preparing to target the Vice President, someone else was also setting his sights on the same man.

That person’s name is Aldrich Killian. Once a scientist, he is now a successful businessman and the founder of Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.). He is also a participant, developer, and user of the super-virus known as "Extremis."

Compared to the Joker’s modest wish to turn New York into an anarchist zone—a place of chaos and disorder where everyone enjoys primitive freedom—Aldrich Killian’s ambitions are much grander. He wants to assassinate the President and then control the entire United States by manipulating the Vice President who would take his place. His plan also targeted the Vice President’s disabled daughter.

Truly, when a political figure has an obvious weakness, it becomes a fatal liability.

Regrettably, the Joker does not yet know who Aldrich Killian is; otherwise, they might have sparked even more fireworks together. But it doesn't matter—villains always meet eventually.

Compared to these two villains in the planning stages, another villain’s plan was already in the execution phase.

A few days later, on a seemingly ordinary night, a brightly lit military base somewhere in the United States was undergoing a full-base evacuation. The base covered a vast area and had existed for many years, having hosted numerous secret missions, including Project Pegasus, which gave birth to Captain Marvel. With tens of thousands of researchers and military personnel, many had long considered this place their home.

But tonight, everyone was ordered to evacuate. In the chaos, a helicopter landed. Nick Fury and Maria Hill stepped out with somber expressions, greeted by Phil Coulson.

"What is the situation?" Nick Fury asked.

Phil Coulson shook his head. "The situation is that even we don't know what the situation is."

This was the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility, where research into cosmic energy and dark matter took place. The Tesseract was also here. The massive evacuation was triggered because the Tesseract, currently under study, had suddenly begun emitting autonomous energy fluctuations. It was predicted that it could potentially cause unpredictable and massive destruction.

Such a large-scale operation could not be kept completely secret. Su Ye, far away in New York, learned of the evacuation through S.H.I.E.L.D.’s internal network and foresaw the coming storm—no one would be spared.

Su Ye was on the top floor of the Oscorp Tower. It had been transformed from a corporate office into a command center for special operations. Positions for computer technicians, communications, administration, security, and clerical staff were all filled; the entire Red Shield branch was operating with methodical precision. Harry’s ability to execute was indeed impressive.

With the facility and personnel secured, the screening and ideological transformation were left to Zheng Xian, who had been seconded from the International Security Council. Su Ye didn't need to worry about the details; he only needed to listen to Sharon’s daily reports.

Sharon was now wearing the tight-fitting tactical suit Maria Hill wore in the first *Avengers* film, a stunning sight.

"The Director and Deputy Director have arrived at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility and are entering the underground lab!"

"The evacuation of the entire base will take about another half hour. Agent Coulson is making urgent arrangements."

"..."

Through the S.H.I.E.L.D. system, Sharon could track the movements of key missions and provided updates to Su Ye. Su Ye stood with his back to Sharon and the busy staff, listening quietly. He now understood why so many bosses liked standing by the window, back turned to their secretaries while listening to reports—the feeling of experiencing the ultimate "driving" experience without having to move a muscle was truly intoxicating.

Outside the window, New York remained a scene of prosperity. People are forgetful; even though Times Square had become a ruin that wouldn't recover anytime soon, it couldn't stop the citizens from indulging in their revelry.

In the entire city, no one imagined that a disaster, no longer confined to Times Square, was about to sweep across all of New York. Perhaps it was better not to know; let them enjoy this final peace.

Su Ye’s lips curled into a faint smile before returning to a calm expression. He ordered without turning his head, "Continue tracking and recording the situation there. Report to me immediately if any issues arise. Also, notify the Great Wall Defenders to assemble in the conference room in thirty minutes."

"Yes!"

It didn't take half an hour; in just over ten minutes, Su Ye met all the members of the Great Wall Defenders in the conference room.

Harry (Green Armor), Max Dillon (Electro), Gwen (Spider-Woman/Silk), Agent Sharon Carter, and Terry Bogard, the fighter who remained in New York. Together with Su Ye—the Martial Saint, Spider-Man, and Batman—the Great Wall Defenders now had six superheroes.

Sharon Carter had been hesitant about joining; as a normal person, sitting among superheroes felt a bit out of place. But Su Ye brought her in regardless. Beyond the fact that the Avengers had two regular humans, the way Sharon had bonded with Gwen in less than ten minutes—making Gwen feel like they were old friends—was enough for Su Ye. In the future, as his girlfriends inevitably joined the team, having Sharon as a glue would help ensure his "backyard" didn't catch fire.

Max’s identity issue had been handled by Nick Fury. Furthermore, for reasons unknown, after a nap in prison, Max had reverted from a glowing blue man to his original appearance, much like in *Spider-Man: No Way Home*. This change made it much easier for him to avoid being identified as the super-criminal who destroyed Times Square.

After the group exchanged greetings, Sharon began her presentation on the big screen.

"Ten minutes ago, a massive explosion occurred at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility. The entire base has been virtually leveled."

A photo appeared on the screen.

"According to on-site surveillance, this is the person who attacked the base."

Upon seeing the photo, the eyes under Terry’s hat flashed. "Loki!"

"That’s right. Loki, the trickster god of Norse mythology. Mr. Terry and the others fought him at the Shiranui Dojo, so we have some understanding of his combat style."

What followed was a detailed breakdown of Loki’s abilities, including the clones, illusions, and invisibility he had previously used.

"Furthermore, he possesses a spear capable of releasing energy blasts. It is incredibly powerful and can manipulate people’s minds, so please exercise extreme caution if you encounter him."

"The Tesseract has been stolen, and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and researchers have been mind-controlled and taken away. As for his specific motives, we do not yet know."

After the introduction, Su Ye tapped the table. "Comrades, the situation is not optimistic. Does anyone have anything to say? Please, speak freely."

After saying this, Su Ye felt something was missing. If he only had a pair of glasses, a military coat, and an enamel mug filled with tea leaves, it would have been perfect.

Gwen pulled her laptop from her bag. "I can upload the photo to the internet and have my hacker friends help dig him out."

Harry and the others looked at each other. "We are ready at all times."

"Very well," Su Ye nodded. Before the space portal opened and the Chitauri army appeared, there was indeed little else they could do.

The meeting concluded, and everyone went to the lounge downstairs to wait for orders. Su Ye watched Gwen typing at her computer, then glanced at Sharon in her form-fitting uniform. He suddenly felt a sense of decision paralysis.

How could one have one's cake and eat it too?