Marvel's Master of Heavenly Magic

Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:

patreon.com/Draco_

******

Otherwise, it would be like the Avengers, forced to sign the Sokovia Accords, with global manhunts for anyone who refuses.

There's always been a sense of arrogance, thinking that without the Avengers, the country's military could handle any crisis.

In Avengers: Infinity War, when Thanos' spaceship reached Earth, Ross still wanted to arrest Captain America. He aimed to use Hydra to completely shatter the government's confidence, thereby establishing the authority of the Superhuman Academy.

So, he wasn't in any rush.

"Traitor, what do you mean by that?"

Garrett immediately stood up, glaring at George with an unfriendly expression.

"Are you calling us traitors? We've fought for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the world, risking our lives countless times, always on the brink of death. To call us traitors is an insult!"

"Hey, I suggest you watch your tone when speaking to our principal, or I won't hesitate to show you some color," Logan, the Wolverine, growled, extending his claws.

He had always been indifferent toward government organizations, especially those that persecuted mutants the most—those sanctimonious institutions. He had been hunted by the government alongside Professor X for a long time.

"I suggest you put away those claws!" Garrett's companion, Ward, pulled out his handgun, aiming it at Logan.

Logan's face immediately twisted into a mocking smile.

"Kid, your toy won't hurt me."

"Calm down, we mean no harm. Grant, put your gun away!" Coulson quickly stood up to diffuse the tense situation.

George smiled lightly and said, "Coulson, we trust you and Natasha, of course. But as for the others, sorry, we can't be sure without testing. How can we be certain there aren't Hydra spies among them? Don't you find it strange that a group of Winter Soldiers was already waiting at the safehouse?"

"George has a point. I believe it's necessary to do so," Black Widow said as she stood up, agreeing with George. Her close friend, Hawkeye, also nodded in agreement.

Given her sharp instincts, she had always suspected there might be Hydra spies among them, especially after the ambush at the safehouse. But it wasn't the right time for her to bring this up.

George had telepathic abilities and could read minds, and Professor X was even more adept at this kind of thing. Either of them could help perform a check.

This was one of the reasons she sought out George right after escaping from Hydra's pursuit. They couldn't proceed with their mission until they were sure no Hydra spies remained.

Nick Fury had been killed, but he had left behind several contingencies. They weren't completely defenseless, as long as there were no more traitors among them.

"Natasha, are you joking?" Garrett looked at Natasha in disbelief.

"You know how many classified files we have, right? Who can guarantee that he won't rummage through our memories while testing us? And he can alter memories—I don't trust him!"

Garrett's words caused some of the agents below to hesitate. Even if they weren't Hydra spies, no one wanted to open their memories for others to inspect. It was far more terrifying than being stripped down and exposed.

A man's browser history, a woman's WeChat chat logs—just imagining those being seen would be mortifying, let alone someone reading your memories. That was essentially exposing everything, inside and out.

"Coulson, what do you think?" Garrett turned his gaze to Coulson, who hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"John, with things at this point, with Fury dead, no S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets matter anymore. I trust George, and I hope you all can trust him too."

"This is just a test."

Of course, George wasn't questioning Garrett, his old comrade who had fought by his side countless times. Garrett's concerns weren't without merit, but at this point, there was no choice. They needed to ensure there were no Hydra spies among them before they could proceed with their next steps.

Moreover, they truly needed George and the Superhuman Academy's support.

"I'm willing to undergo the test with Natasha. That way, everyone can feel secure," said Coulson.

"Then it's settled," Agent Hill said, standing up.

Among the remaining high-ranking agents in S.H.I.E.L.D., there were only Coulson, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hill, and Garrett. With four of the five agreeing, the decision was practically made.

However, Garrett snorted coldly.

"I don't trust him. If you want to undergo the test, fine. But I won't let some outsider read my memories. I'll leave and defeat Hydra on my own. If anyone wants to join me, we can leave right now. That way, you won't have to worry about any so-called traitors!"

"Teacher, I'll follow you. I don't want to leave my fate in the hands of outsiders," Grant immediately chimed in.

Soon, another agent stepped behind Garrett, clearly agreeing with him.

"John, now isn't the time to throw a tantrum. Please, trust me," Coulson said, standing in front of John with a pained expression.

John, however, pulled out his handgun and handed it to Coulson.

"Either you kill me now or let me go. I trust you, but I don't trust these outsiders."

Both he and Garrett had special trackers, and the Winter Soldiers from Hydra were surely already closing in. If they left the academy and met up with the Winter Soldiers, they could take down everyone in one swift move.

The breach at the safehouse had been intentional, allowing Black Widow and the others to escape. The plan had been to track them and find more valuable intel.

At this point, the results seemed promising. Eliminating these mutants would also take out a major threat.

"Nice speech, but sorry, you're not going anywhere. None of you are leaving."

George clapped for Garrett's acting skills. The man was truly talented—no one could tell he had already defected to Hydra.

"What do you mean by that?"

Garrett spun around, glaring at George. George, however, glanced at Banner.

"Show them."

Banner activated the equipment, and a large screen appeared in the conference room, showing the figures of several Winter Soldiers clearly visible on it.

To the Winter Soldiers outside, the Superhuman Academy appeared to be non-existent, even though they were right on the academy's outer wall.

But the surveillance on the academy's walls showed them all, clear as day.

"It's them. How did they find us?" Black Widow and the others immediately recognized the Winter Soldiers—the very same ones who had attacked them at the safehouse.

"Which means there's definitely a traitor among you who leaked the location. I'm betting it's these guys who wanted to leave," Thor, leaning against the conference door, remarked, clearly seeing the problem.

(End of Chapter)