The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 565, 1046, and 1047: A Reminder from Frank (Part 1)

Captain America and Black Widow exchanged a quick glance, understanding that the other party was verifying their identities.

So they cooperated perfectly, standing still without making any resistance or evasive movements that might be misinterpreted as threats, allowing the scanning beam to clearly capture their facial information.

However, my vigilance had inadvertently increased to a new level.

This efficient and technologically advanced verification method creates a stark contrast with the backward and primitive village before us.

Perhaps behind this barren facade lies a powerful technological empire!

The wait wasn't long, but for Captain America and Black Widow, who were locked on by nearly ten deadly drones, every second felt like it was stretched out infinitely, an unbearable ordeal.

The only sounds were the faint buzzing of the drone and the occasional whistling of the wind across the grassland.

Moments later, an astonishing scene unfolded...

Suddenly, behind the primitive village, in the area that Captain America and Black Widow saw as a continuous mountain range, the surface of the landscape below the "mountain" began to ripple violently with eerie waves, like the calm surface of water to which a stone had been thrown!
Clearly, it wasn't a mountain range at all, but a massive energy barrier with advanced 'background reflection capabilities'.

The lifelike rocks, trees, and vegetation that Captain America and Black Widow saw before were all incredibly realistic optical camouflage!

Immediately afterwards, three tall figures stepped out from the ripples below the 'mountain wall'.

The leading man was tall and muscular, wearing a dark gray, tight-fitting combat suit. A brightly colored 'SS' symbol, resembling two intertwined golden lightning bolts, was clearly visible on his chest.

The man had a resolute face, a well-defined jawline, and sharp, piercing eyes. His steady gait revealed a battle-hardened, iron-blooded quality.

It was none other than Frank Cassel, who had been promoted to chief instructor and commander-in-chief of the Thunder Warrior Legion.

After Wakanda was successfully acquired by the Subspace Corporation, this technologically advanced 'super city' became the headquarters of the Thunder Warriors Legion.

Frank is personally overseeing things here!
Behind Frank were two incredibly burly warriors, each nearly 2.5 meters tall, wielding enormous explosive guns, and wearing metal armor crafted with some kind of advanced technology. They walked like two mobile iron towers.

These two Thunder Warriors, simply by standing there, exuded a powerful sense of oppression that made Captain America and Black Widow feel suffocated.

"That is……"

Captain America and Black Widow's pupils contracted sharply. The latter looked with a complex expression at the distant, now-peaceful mountain backdrop behind the primitive tribe, and said in a low voice:

"It should be an optical simulation camouflage technology similar to the background reflective panels used by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, but this is the first time I've seen such a large-scale application..."

"Captain, you were right. Wakanda is indeed not as simple as outsiders imagine."

“Natasha, it’s not just about disguise technology…”

Captain America's gaze narrowed slightly, and he quickly locked onto the special combat uniforms worn by Frank and his two companions as they approached, noting the prominent [SS] symbol on their chests, thanks to his eyesight far exceeding that of ordinary people.

This logo was not unfamiliar to him.

In the past two years, every time this logo appears before the world, it inevitably sparks widespread discussion around the world about terms such as "Sokovia," "Subspace Group," "Titan," and "Didi Chuxing ride-hailing service."

With such a high-profile style, it's hard for Captain America not to know him.

“Natasha, relax, they are from the [Subspace Group].

"What?! [Subspace Group]?!"

Upon hearing this, Black Widow's body trembled violently, the color draining from her face instantly. A deep-seated, almost instinctive horror and fear welled up from the bottom of her heart.

Although all her memories of being an undercover agent in Sokovia had been completely erased by Karl using the powerful Mind Stone more than two years ago.

But a deep-seated fear, rooted in her subconscious, haunted her like a ghost.

Even now, whenever she hears the name "Subspace Group"... no, to be precise, anything related to Karl, she subconsciously experiences an uncontrollable psychological stress response.

This might be the indelible psychological trauma left behind after the memories were forcibly erased.
Black Widow's voice trembled slightly, a tremor she herself didn't even notice, as she spoke with an incredulous expression:

"Why are people from the [Subspace Group] in [Wakanda]? Could it be... that they've already taken over this place? Or..."

However, Black Widow didn't finish her sentence because Frank, along with two Thunder Warriors, walked up to them and stopped about two meters away.

This distance maintains a safe buffer while also creating an invisible sense of pressure.

"Captain America Steve Rogers, S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 7 Agent Black Widow Natasha Romanoff..."

Frank's gaze swept over the two people in front of him with an almost tangible intensity. He didn't introduce himself, but instead spoke directly, accurately stating their identities and names, even including Black Widow's security clearance level within S.H.I.E.L.D., before casually asking:

"Excuse me, do you two have any important business to discuss, entering the restricted area on the border of Wakanda without permission?!"

Black Widow glanced at the three men opposite her, exuding an imposing aura. She quickly suppressed her fear, and as a top-tier agent, her professional instincts kicked in, instantly switching to a highly deceptive, gentle, and slightly apologetic smile. She attempted to use her most proficient social skills to probe their background and intentions:

"It's Mr. Frank Kassel. I didn't expect to meet you and everyone from the [Subspace Group] here..."

"Please don't misunderstand, we came here to track down a very important clue, but we didn't expect to encounter this... Wait a minute, could it be that Wakanda has run into some trouble and therefore specifically requested a ride-hailing service from the Subspace Group?"

She clearly stated Frank's last name, indicating that she knew him.

This is both a gesture of goodwill and a form of invisible pressure.

As Nick Fury's most trusted confidante, she had already learned about the information of several core members around Carl through highly classified files, including the commander Frank Cassel, who had previously appeared in many battles within the [Subspace Group] and was known for his ruthless style.

However, Frank did not answer her question. He seemed completely immune to Black Widow's smile and probing, his face remaining unchanged as if he had not heard her probing.

He simply looked at them calmly with his eyes, which had been through countless battles, waiting for the two to give a truly reasonable explanation.

That silence is more intimidating than any words.

Captain America understood Frank's attitude and knew that dealing with the people of the Subspace Corporation in a roundabout way or by testing the waters might backfire.

So he chose the most direct, and perhaps most effective, way of communicating: honesty.

"Let me tell you."

Captain America took a deep breath, stepped forward, and used his imposing figure to shield Black Widow slightly behind him. He cleared his throat and said truthfully:
"We are hunting down an extremely dangerous AI criminal who calls himself [Ultron]..."

"According to reliable intelligence we have obtained, it is highly likely that it will soon attempt to acquire a large amount of vibranium in order to create an indestructible new body in order to carry out its more terrifying plan."

"We came here to investigate without prior notice because we were concerned about the safety of Wakanda and Vibranium... If our actions have violated the rules of Wakanda or the Subspace Group, I sincerely apologize and ask for your understanding."

He succinctly explained his purpose, unlike Black Widow who deliberately concealed Ultron's existence and intentions, and even took the initiative to show goodwill and express his apologies.

As a fellow veteran who had experienced the brutality of war and fought desperately on the battlefield, Frank Cassell seemed to appreciate Captain America's candid and direct approach. The hard lines on his face softened slightly, and he nodded politely, saying calmly:
“Your intelligence is incorrect. Ultron has never been here... Recently, the mining and storage of vibranium in Wakanda have been normal, and there has been no record of any theft or abnormal transactions in the inventory.”

"So...you two can leave now."

After saying that, Frank Cassel prepared to turn and leave with the two Thunder Warriors.

He gestured for the two to return, then turned around, preparing to lead the two towering Thunder Warriors back to the massive energy barrier behind the primitive village.

"Please wait a moment."

Captain America's face showed anxiety upon seeing this. He knew that the threat of Ultron was imminent, and Wakanda was likely the key to finding clues related to Ultron. Therefore, he was unwilling to give up so easily.

So he quickly stepped forward, his tone becoming even more earnest:

“Mr. Kassel, Ultron’s goal is to destroy the existing order of human civilization! It sees humanity as a ‘disease’ of the Earth… If we cannot find its whereabouts as soon as possible and stop it from creating new mechanical bodies and the ‘Iron Legion,’ it may cause a global catastrophe in the future, and countless innocent people will lose their lives!”

"No one can truly remain unaffected in the face of this disaster!"
He hoped to persuade the other party by talking about the bigger picture and the potential tragedy, in order to gain even the slightest chance for his operation.

Frank stopped and glanced at Captain America, a hint of almost mocking contempt flashing in his eyes.

He was not swayed by this argument, which clearly carried a connotation of 'moral blackmail,' and instead sneered:

"As far as I know, wasn't this huge 'trouble' of Ultron something you, the Avengers, created by your own hands?"

"You created this mess, so you should be responsible for cleaning it up yourselves, right?"

His gaze was sharp as a knife, as if he could see through people's hearts. "But what you just said sounds like you're trying to use the noble cause of 'saving the world' to morally blackmail us [Subspace Group], forcing us to provide assistance free of charge... or even to clean up your messes?"

Σ(⊙▽⊙“a???

What? He actually knows about Ultron?
Captain America and Black Widow suddenly caught their breath!
My heart almost stopped for a second.

Both of them showed an expression of disbelief and shock.

The origin of Ultron is a top-secret matter within the Avengers, and even within S.H.I.E.L.D., only a very few people, such as Nick Fury, know the full truth.

How could the Subspace Group, located in the isolated environment of Wakanda in Africa, possibly know so much?!

Just how terrifying has the intelligence capabilities of this unique military-industrial complex reached?!

In addition, Frank's rebuttal was like a resounding slap in the face to Captain America and Black Widow, leaving them with a burning pain in their minds, yet they were unable to refute it.

Because in some ways, Frank's accusations were not wrong.

Captain America immediately realized that making excuses or denying it would be pointless and would only make things worse.

So he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed all the embarrassment and shock.

This time, he took the initiative to lower his stance, his azure eyes filled with sincerity and apology: "Mr. Cassel, I apologize for my inappropriate expression just now, which caused you such a misunderstanding."

“You’re absolutely right. In this matter concerning Ultron, we… especially Stark and Dr. Banner, made a very serious mistake, and we will not shirk our responsibility for it.”

"But rest assured, we are now doing everything we can to fix this mistake and find every possible way to prevent Ultron from causing even greater harm."

He raised his head, his icy blue eyes looking directly at Frank. "So, if the Subspace Corporation can provide us with even the slightest bit of valuable information or clues based on humanitarian or any other possible reason, I and the entire Avengers will be eternally grateful and will remember this kindness."

Frank was somewhat surprised to hear such a humble, even pleading tone coming from the mouth of such a symbolic hero as Captain America.

The cold, hard expression on his face seemed to soften slightly.

He hesitated for about two seconds, seemingly weighing some kind of decision.

Then he said, "I did not intentionally hide or deceive you. Ultron has indeed not been to the Wakanda base recently, I can confirm that..."

Upon hearing this, Captain America and Black Widow's hearts sank instantly, and their faces revealed an unconcealed look of disappointment and frustration.

However, Frank's next words were like a ray of light suddenly illuminating the darkness for the two of them, instantly rekindling their hope.

(End of this chapter)