Chapter 137 - 133 Flooding New York, Diplomatic Incident.
Time quietly advanced to November 1945, and the lively atmosphere before Thanksgiving became more and more intense.
People began to prepare for the parade, and many supermarkets or shops planned price reduction activities and distributed coupons.
New Yorkers were looking forward to gathering with family and friends soon to enjoy a turkey dinner.
"Well, it was a fierce battle."
Luke woke up from bed contentedly, glanced at the clothes and high heels that fell on the floor, and couldn't help smiling.
He went into the bathroom naked, washed, and threw on a robe.
He opened the heavy curtains to welcome the morning sun and beautiful day.
"A calm New York City is a rare sight to see in the future."
Luke stretched out and bathed in the warm sunlight.
He had lived a relatively relaxed life recently, and the operations of S.H.I.E.L.D were gradually getting on track and growing at a steady pace.
The headquarters expanded from three departments to eight departments.
The number of spies, agents, operatives, and field teams was also increasing.
All this was Carter's credit. He had to say that she's suitable for this job.
Luke was able to get things in order without much effort.
'If we keep up this pace of development, we might soon be free from the constraints of the Pentagon and the White House.'
Luke thought with satisfaction.
Recently, the three labs have also gained something. The nuclear fusion reactor proposed by Howard has created its latest model, waiting for the test results.
Dr. Zola's idea of using Wöden's Blood to transform cells and improve energy absorption efficiency has achieved initial success.
Maybe in another week, Luke will be able to receive the injection.
As for the mutant genetic mapping project led by Bolivar, it's in progress.
It's worth mentioning that Task Force X, led by Wolverine and Sabretooth, performed well.
Acting as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s outside help several times and helping the agents complete their missions has demonstrated outstanding results.
So much so that the Pentagon Generals, at every meeting, hinted at Luke to recruit more mutants as soon as possible.
It is better to form a large enough army, put them into the overseas battlefield, attack in all four directions, and easily win.
Toward this, the Major General was unmoved and pretended that he hadn't heard anything.
These old guys who experienced World War I and World War II knew how to turn all available people or things into mass-produced assembly-line weapons.
But Luke has his ideas so that they won't influence him.
'It feels good to have a new house.'
He stood in front of the French windows, overlooking Manhattan at his feet.
The constant flow of traffic.
At the fantastic height of the 46th floor, there's a breathtaking view of half of the Upper East Side.
Thanks to the enthusiastic sponsorship from Congress, Luke has enough money at hand.
He bought a 48-story apartment building in Manhattan without even blinking.
According to the real estate agent, this high-rise is called the Baxter Building, designed by a famous French architect with a high-end and upscale atmosphere.
The only drawback is that it is expensive.
"This can be considered an investment for its future value."
Luke muttered.
Now, shortly after the end of World War II, the United States hasn't seen inflation yet.
In the future, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where every inch of land is valuable, the cost of buying a high-rise building wouldn't be covered without owning billions.
But what impressed Luke wasn't just the demand but also the fact that the Baxter Building is only three blocks away from the New York Sanctuary.
It's safe to put Malèna here. It's a ruse to make the Sorcerer Supreme a bodyguard.
"General, there's an emergency …"
Stryker's anxious voice came through the phone as if his house was on fire.
"What happened?"
Luke asked, frowning.
It was the weekend. He wanted to have a slow breakfast, then go to Brooklyn to talk to Rogers.
After catching up with old friends, they could go to their luxury yacht docked at the Hudson River port to bask in the sun and talk about their life ideals.
Considering the integrity of Captain America and the paparazzi waiting outside, Luke gave up the idea of calling a group of models to have a party -- that's Howard's style.
Before the boring and tedious rich man's day could begin, a phone call from Stryker put a damper on the whole plan.
"What the hell happened? A tsunami?"
Luke shook his head, sighed, and said to Malèna, who was still lying in bed, "It looks like I have to go save the world. Tell Steve that the noon get-together is canceled."
Boom!
As his voice fell, the tall and straight figure rose to the sky.
…
…
A few minutes later, Luke appeared in S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters.
Stryker couldn't speak clearly on the phone, so he simply came over.
"What's the situation? What made you all look so frightened?"
Luke walked into the conference room. Carter, who was sitting on the left-hand side, looked solemn, and Howard looked severe.
Stryker, who was still a follower, stayed quietly in the corner.
In a word, the atmosphere is rather depressing.
Maybe, the Kree came early?
Luke narrowed his eyes and sat in the main seat.
"A horrible… diplomatic incident."
Carter spat out these words.
She turned on the heavy projector and projected the blurred black and white photos on the wall.
"A tsunami?"
Luke's eyebrows were frowning. The continuous flicker, which eventually formed a coherent picture, presented a wrecked scene after a disaster.
Buildings were washed away, bridges collapsed, and the waves never overshot the land …
"This is Florida's Anna Maria Island, just yesterday. Local residents were hit by the tsunami, which is probably at a Level 2 Orange Alert severity."
Carter grimaced and explained, "But that's not the point. Look at this!"
The female agent brought up a photo—an image of the gloomy sky, wind, rain, and a vague figure.
His hands open, like a sorcerer casting a spell, manipulating the changes in the weather.
"The man claimed to be Namor McKenzie, the King of Atlantis. Because the government arrested his compatriots, he artificially created the disaster."
Carter's voice was a little low. She softly said, "He sent a tape to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the FBI, admitting that the tsunami attack on Anna Maria Island was made by him alone."
"And said, if the military doesn't stop the brutality of catching mutants, the next city hit by the tsunami will be New York!"
"Finally, Namor McKenzie warned S.H.I.E.L.D., and … you -- in the name of the King of Atlantis."
Luke listened quietly, tapping his fingers on the table, his face unreadable.
He didn't expect the one to take the lead in getting himself into trouble, was Namor, the Sea King.
The 'rip-off little prince' reputation is true to his name. Before he provoked the other party, the guy came to the door himself.
"Has S.H.I.E.L.D. collected a lot of mutants recently?"
Luke asked subconsciously.
Namor is a mutant. Yes, but why did he suddenly care about his compatriots?
This guy is only interested in tearing people apart and picking on them, and he doesn't even care much about Atlantis' people that much.
Carter shook her head and replied, "No. According to what you ordered, we always start from the school years and pay attention to the young students who have had unusual incidents."
"They are easier to control and don't resist as fiercely as the other mutants. All these things were done in a very low-key manner."
When things go wrong, there must be a cause. Namor warned S.H.I.E.L.D and him for no reason; there must be some other reason.
After thinking for a few seconds, Luke spat out a name, "Sebastian Shaw."
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