American comics: Starting with mutants

the next day.

early morning.

Residents of Garrison woke up this morning to find something was wrong.

At the town's only entrance, a black Chevrolet SUV bearing the FBI logo appeared, along with a well-dressed, sunglasses-wearing, and stern-faced federal agent.

Not only the town, but even the family-run hotel where Ethan and Jean were staying had been placed under martial law by federal agents.

As Ethan carried his duffel bag and led the piano down from the second floor to the living room, Natasha, who was sitting at the bar, resting her chin on one hand and holding a coffee cup in the other, looking as if she hadn't slept all night, greeted the two of them as they came down.

Ethan approached and looked at Natasha sitting on the high stool, as if confirming something.

after awhile.

His eyes lit up as he looked at Natasha.

"Natasha, the mature version, right?"

"……Ha ha."

Natasha was taken aback at first, then chuckled dryly in response to Ethan's performance, and said, "It's funny, but not funny at all."

She knew Ethan was teasing her about having a younger version of herself.

Let alone Ethan.

When I spoke with S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander Maria Hill last night, she was also startled by the younger version of Natasha standing next to her.

If we disregard their temperament and only consider their appearance, it would be difficult for anyone to tell them apart.

But her temperament is unique.

If the younger version of Natasha still exudes vitality, then Agent Natasha of S.H.I.E.L.D. is just a lifeless aura.

but……

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha, whose original demeanor was as lifeless as a ball of air, now possesses a touch of vitality.

Well, how should I put it?

New buds have sprouted on the dead tree?

Ethan thought to himself, but didn't say anything. Instead, he looked around at the additional federal agents who had appeared overnight, then turned to Natasha: "Are they all settled in?"

Natasha nodded, opened the lid of her coffee cup, drank the coffee in one gulp, and then stood up from the bar stool: "I sent it to the airport last night. I'll wait for you here. We'll go back to New York together."

Ethan laughed.

"I never said I was going to New York."

"Yeah?"

Natasha looked at Ethan with some surprise upon hearing this: "I thought you were interested in meeting William Stryker, who is imprisoned in the New York S.H.I.E.L.D. prison."

Ethan's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Natasha, his smile unchanged: "You'll let me see him?"

Natasha shrugged. "Why not? As long as you don't kill him."

Ethan laughed and said, "That's hard to say. I have a bad temper, especially with my enemies."

Natasha nodded and said, "I can see that. But you took down the temporary air force base in Texas first, and now you've taken down this place. If we're not mistaken, you're trying to slowly wear down William Stryker, aren't you?"

Ethan didn't deny it, but looked at Natasha.

"continue."

"William Stryker has been arrested. No matter how many William Strykers are out there, the William Stryker we are arresting now is the real one."

"...I'm listening."

"You want to get revenge on this guy who's posing as William Stryker now, and we want to destroy this evil organization that's impersonating William Stryker and trying to reignite the war between mutants and ordinary people, and even trying to sow discord between the military and us."

"But the issue of human cloning has too great an impact."

Natasha smiled and extended her right hand to Ethan: "Mr. Ethan, we can cooperate. You have the strength, and we have the technology. I believe that if we join forces, we will soon destroy this evil organization that is trying to disrupt world peace."

Ethan looked down at the right hand offered to him, but instead of shaking it, he looked up at Natasha.

"I can manage on my own without cooperating with you."

"Of course, I believe in Mr. Ethan's abilities."

The power of the mutant Black King has already been proven by history.

Again.

If the mutant Black King had used a safety rope when he wore his helmet back then, the world would be a completely different place.

Ethan today is even more powerful than the Black King of yesteryear.

At least...

Back then, the Black Emperor couldn't unleash the devastating energy wave from his eyes that Cyclops could, which destroyed a military base.

Natasha recalled what she had seen in the satellite footage and then said to Ethan, "Ethan, you don't want to be seen as some heinous criminal by other law enforcement agencies during your revenge, do you? Of course, if you say you are, then never mind."

Ethan smiled at Natasha, then his eyes lit up as if he had thought of something. He walked to the door, pushed it open, looked around, then returned to Natasha: "Where are the axemen lying in ambush?"

Natasha was slightly taken aback.

"What executioners?"

"You were lying in ambush, weren't you?"

Ethan laughed and said, "Back when you went to find Dr. Bruce Banner, the Hulk, wasn't there a squad of elite soldiers lying in ambush outside?"

Natasha was taken aback at first, then looked at Ethan with an honest expression.

"Mr. Ethan, you are not like Bruce Banner."

"oh."

"Bruce Banner can't control the Hulk's power, but you can."

Although Ethan and Jean had received many free meals, drinks, gas, or car loans from ordinary people on their way from Texas, they still managed to get some free food and drinks from them.

But at least, Ethan and Jean didn't harm any innocent bystanders along the way.

With such formidable power, yet without indiscriminately killing innocents, that alone is enough for S.H.I.E.L.D. to extend goodwill.

After all, even if you can't be friends, don't become enemies.

This was said by Commander Maria Hill.

Ethan looked at Natasha's honest face and also suppressed his smile, looking at Natasha in turn.

"One question."

"Speaking."

"I'll cooperate with you, but don't stop me from killing."

"As long as they're not innocent bystanders."

Without hesitation, Natasha stated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bottom line: "As for the members of this evil organization, the Commander's intention is that the fewer people who know about this, the better."

The clone incident is a very serious matter. S.H.I.E.L.D. only received the news last night, and a specific solution has not yet been proposed. But in any case, the fewer people who know about this, the better.

"and……"

Natasha told Ethan about another advantage of working with them: "SHIELD has a dedicated research lab in New York City. Although we don't know the ingredients of the growth-suppressing drug yet, you wouldn't want Jean to take it regularly every day, would you?"

Ethan: "..."