Chapter 4360 - 3453: Midnight Sons (15)
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"Alright, our meeting this time is to discuss the issues in the Bronx..." Stark sat in the Avengers base, looking at the people on both sides. The Avengers were almost all present, but because of this cosmos, there weren't many Avengers to begin with, so the conference room still felt a bit empty.
"I've already spoken with members of the New Warriors Team," Captain America Steve began, "They will increase patrols to ensure that serious crimes don't occur, as much as possible."
"Is a minotaur considered a serious crime?" Stark asked.
"Of course, it counts," Steve replied, "But that day, they hadn't come back from Battleworld. This morning, they've all returned. If something like that happens again, they will rush to the scene immediately."
"I'm not talking about fighting monsters, but the occasion where it happened," Stark said.
"You mean the Black protest activity?" Natasha chimed in, "I consulted Falcon's opinion. He is relatively rational, but he also told me not to expect everyone to be rational."
"What about Black Panther?" Hawkeye turned and asked.
"They have always stayed out of the struggles of Black people in America," Steve tilted his head and said, "The reasons are complex, but I understand him."
"Do you suspect the conflict this time was deliberately instigated by someone?" Dr. Banner looked at Stark and asked, also a member of the Avengers, with Connors and Doctor Otto also joined, but Otto was on vacation and not here this time.
Stark nodded and mentioned Miles' discovery, which was deemed conclusive evidence, while also emphasizing the anomaly of the two Ghost Riders.
At the mention of magic, everyone got a little tense. None of those present could understand magic, not even Stark. The way he utilizes magic is quite different from a Mage; he sees magic energy more as a pure form of energy rather than anything metaphysical.
Seeing this reaction, Stark sighed and said, "Looks like that kid's suggestion is useful. The Avengers need their own magic combat unit instead of relying entirely on the New York Temple."
Natasha nodded and said, "Indeed. The New York Temple has very few people, just maintaining the nodes of the magical defense network keeps them busy; can't count on them to provide support everywhere."
"What about Steven?" Stark asked again.
"He's even busier," Natasha flipped through her schedule and said, "He stayed in the Holy Sanctuary for two days and then went back to the hospital for surgery... My God, he hasn't left the operating room for over 70 hours."
"Dragging him out of the operating room would meet with tremendous resistance," Connors, who seemed knowledgeable, said, "Rich patients from all over the world are lining up. If you want him to stop being a doctor, the whole world would stand against us."
"Alright, then let's consider the selection of personnel," Stark said, "As almost the only one amongst you who can proficiently use magic, I certainly need to participate."
"And you, Peter." Stark looked at Peter, "I remember you also got magic energy before, during that incident with Venom."
Peter nodded and said, "I do have it, but I basically never use it. It feels like there aren't many occasions where it comes in handy."
"This time, you might have to use it," Stark said, "Get yourself a costume, think of a code name, and practice magic well."
"Can't I just be called Spider-Man?" Peter asked.
"There's already a Spider-Man," Stark replied.
"But not just one, New York is full of Spider-Men," Peter scratched his face and then said, "Adding one more of me doesn't matter much. At most, change the color of the costume and come up with a code name like Magic Spider."
"Alright, as you wish," Stark said, "But you'll need to enhance your training recently." Peter looked down at his abdomen; he could vaguely see the outline of his abs. Indeed, it was time to train.
"Who else is interested in joining?" Stark glanced around and said, "Priority for those who know magic."
Others looked at each other, but no one spoke, as there really was no one among them who knew magic.
"Let's leave it at that," Stark said, "Although that kid Danny isn't reliable, his naming is not bad. The new superhero squad is called Midnight Sons, with tentative members including me, Peter, Moon Knight, and Ghost Rider, along with affiliate members Spider-Man Miles and JARVIS."
"Moon Knight?" Connors repeated the name, seeming a bit unfamiliar with it.
"Yes," Stark replied, "More specifically, it's the third-generation Moon Knight. Recently got back into action and helped us deal with the minotaur."
"Wait a minute," Steve asked, "Was it him who made the moon in New York disappear for a few seconds the other night?"
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"Yes, it was to intimidate the evil spirit," Stark replied.
"That puts me at ease," Steve said, "At least we finally have an insider."
Stark cast him an unsatisfied look, but on second thought, Moon Knight was indeed the most professional in the team. The others either got involved halfway or held other jobs, with no one being a proper magician.
"I think you should consider Steven as your affiliate member," Natasha suggested again, "Even if he can't be there in person, he can at least offer some theoretical assistance. If Steven is too busy, you could ask Loki instead; he might also be willing."
"If that's the case, there's no point in forming this squad," Stark said, "We would still be relying on someone else's magical strength. We need to be as independent as possible, understand what independence means?"
"I'll report this matter to Nick," Natasha said, "So that if you make a mess, S.H.I.E.L.D. can be there to clean it up immediately."
Stark understood why people were not optimistic about this team, but he chose to persist anyway.
"This squad alone won't solve the Bronx problem," Dr. Banner said rationally, "The security situation in the Bronx is a social issue, which cannot be solved by superheroes. Tony, have you thought about what to do?"
"Of course," Stark nodded and said, "Last night I stayed up studying the history of Hong Kong and found similarities between Hong Kong and the Bronx; most are historical issues, and I discovered a lot of ways to solve them as well."
Steve frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid the New York government may not be willing to improve. Are you planning to pay out of your pocket?"
Stark nodded and said, "As long as the tumor of New York can be removed, spending some money is nothing."
"Do you know how much money that requires?" Steve paused and then said, "This isn't some kind of simulation management game. The Bronx is large with a huge population, even a thorough review would require astronomical numbers."
"Stark Group's business is doing well," Stark said, "I believe Obadiah and Pepper will take care of my concerns."
Hearing Stark say this, the others had nothing more to say. A wealthy man is willing to improve livelihood at his expense; they could only applaud.
"Alright, let's end the meeting here," Stark said, "In the next period, I might focus on building the Midnight Sons base. You all keep an eye on the Avengers' work..."
After Stark left, the doctors also left one after another, except for Steve and Natasha.
They were the oldest, and the experience accumulated over time was unmatched by the others.
"What do you think?" Steve asked, rubbing his cup.
"The idea is good," Natasha replied, "But there will certainly be all kinds of problems in the process. Tony will get overwhelmed, and others might not be able to offer any help. I just hope his luck holds and he doesn't step into every pitfall."
"The Avengers also need to prepare," Steve considered and said, "We'll take over when necessary."
"You're always so reliable, Captain," Natasha smiled and said, "With S.H.I.E.L.D., nothing big will go wrong. More importantly, there's Moon Knight in the team."
"What? Is Tony here?" Shiller stood up from the desk at the Moonlight Temple, where he was helping Strange fill out medical cases, and said, "How did he get here so fast?"
As Shiller stretched out his hand, the hooded cloak hanging beside him flew over and covered his body. Khonsu roared in his ear, "Remember, you're a doctor, talk more, fight less!"
"Got it, got it," Shiller said, holding the Long Wand, as he walked out.
Iron Man, wearing mecha, stood in the hall, followed by two Spider-Men. One was Miles, dressed in a black and red uniform, and the other Spider-Man had a familiar build but wasn't in the usual red-and-blue tights. Instead, his outfit was a gradient from deep blue to black from head to toe.
Shiller immediately realized it was Peter. He recalled that Peter also possessed magic energy, specifically from the time he stole electricity, and Faith Power had always existed within him. So, even if he wasn't Spider-Man anymore, he still had extraordinary abilities.
Shiller examined his new suit, darker and moodier than the classic Spider-Man attire, fitting well with the name Midnight Sons.
Stark's mecha also had a color change, not the usual red and gold, but instead the blue and white from when the Nano Armor was first invented. The shoulder armor was more robust, slightly curving upward, seemingly mimicking knight armor, with a blue cape on one shoulder marked with a Magic Array insignia.
At first glance, it didn't seem like Iron Man at all, but rather like a character from some fantasy setting game, looking much more magnificent than the usual iron can appearance.
"Amazing, they all got a skin upgrade," Shiller said in his mind to Khonsu, "I want an upgrade too."
"Can't you calm down?" Khonsu answered, "My Moonlight Power is not for you to waste."
"Whether or not it's wasted on visuals, it's wasted on battles," Shiller said, "Add some effects, and I promise not to fight today."
Ultimately, Khonsu couldn't overrule Shiller, and Moonlight Energy formed several slightly floating white luminous tendrils extending from Shiller's back.
Moon Knight flapped the wings formed by the light tendrils, slowly descending from the second floor.
"Oh wow, he got upgraded too," Stark said inside his armor to JARVIS, "I said we should bump up a steel wing, and you said it was too extravagant. Now look, got outshone, haven't we?"
"Sir, can you be more mature?" JARVIS said, "We're here to form a superhero team, not a beauty pageant!"
"Heh, it's normal for a vacuum cleaner to lack taste," Stark said.
Stark watched the wings made of light tendrils on Moon Knight's back. Unlike ordinary wings, these tendrils look both like wings and tentacles, moving irregularly in the air, appearing both sacred and eerie, truly fitting with the moon's imaginative associations.
Stark cleared his throat and said, "Hello, Moon Knight, we're here to invite you to join the Midnight Sons. This is a team specifically targeting magic-related incidents. What do you think?"
"Magic..." Moon Knight repeated the word, glancing at them, and then said, "I don't see the connection between you and magic."
Stark scoffed, the light of the magic core glowing on his chest, he levitated and said, "Then I'm afraid we need to give you a demonstration."
Khonsu wailed in Shiller's mind, "Weren't you supposed to not fight?!!"
JARVIS also shouted in Stark's earphone, "We agreed not to get physical!!"
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