In the Marvel universe, you start with a colored Hextech item.

Chapter 100 Internal Conflict within S.H.I.E.L.D., Night Raid on Lynn

In stark contrast to the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of Lynn and his group in Fisk Tower, the atmosphere inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. meeting room was rather gloomy.

The cold white light shone on the long table, where a holographic projection of Nick Fury stood in the main seat, his eyes filled with a faint sense of helplessness.

He was in Washington, dealing with people in Congress and the Security Council, and could only participate in this emergency meeting via holographic projection.

His gaze, however, fell upon Steve Rogers, who was sitting at one side of the long table, pressing his hand to his brow.

He had long anticipated that Captain America, who had just awakened from the ice, was still thinking about the battlefields of World War II more than seventy years ago, and lacked sufficient understanding of the modern situation and Lynn as a variable.

But to his utter surprise, Rogers went to meet Lynn alone without reporting or giving any prior notice.

It's important to understand that Lynn is currently under full surveillance by S.H.I.E.L.D., the military, and Congress, and every move she makes affects the nerves of countless people.

Rogers's unauthorized action could easily ignite a full-scale war if not handled carefully.

Fortunately, he immediately sent Coulson to provide support, thus preventing an irreparable bloodshed tragedy.

Rogers.

Fury's voice was low and hoarse, filled with undisguised dissatisfaction.

"Did you consider the possible consequences before making this decision?"

"If Lynn were to attack on the spot, do you think you could escape unscathed? And there are so many civilians and agents there providing support."

"Or do you think you can single-handedly subdue the man who publicly beheaded General Ross and dismantled armored vehicles and helicopters with his bare hands?"

Rogers lowered his hand from his brow, looked up at Fury, his face showing no sign of backing down, his tone still firm.

"Chief Fury."

"I know it was my fault for not informing him beforehand. But I had to see him. I had to see for myself what kind of person this man, who was wanted throughout the United States, really was."

"We must also ask him directly why he chose to solve the problem in the most extreme way."

"Ask?"

A mocking chuckle suddenly came from the conference room doorway.

Tony Stark leaned against the doorframe, still wearing medical protective gear to secure his wounds. His face was still pale, as if he had just woken from a coma, but the sharpness and venom in his eyes remained undiminished.

He fiddled with a pair of sunglasses in his hand, slowly walked to the long table and sat down, glancing at Rogers with a mocking tone.

"I never expected that I would hear such exciting news as soon as I got out of the hospital bed."

"Our great Captain America single-handedly stormed the villain's lair, oh wait, I mean the open-air café, and came back unscathed, while dragging us all into an even deeper quagmire."

Rogers frowned and looked at Tony.

"Stark, I know you have a problem with me, but I have my reasons for this."

"Your plan is to rely on pure passion to find someone who can beat you, me, Rod, Barton, and Natasha all to a pulp and send them to the hospital, for an idealistic heart-to-heart talk?"

Tony raised an eyebrow, mercilessly exposing the truth.

"Captain, I'm not trying to be mean, but this approach worked when we were fighting the Nazis over seventy years ago. It doesn't work now."

The atmosphere between the two instantly became tense.

Coulson stood to the side, cleared his throat awkwardly, and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Gentlemen, calm down. We just received the latest surveillance footage. Lynn has returned to the Fisk Building and met up with Frank. There are no unusual movements at the moment."

"The most crucial thing now is to reach a unified response plan, not to fight amongst ourselves."

Fury raised his hand to signal the two to stop arguing, and then spoke to Tony.

"Stark, you haven't fully recovered yet, you shouldn't be here."

"If I hadn't come soon, by the time I fully recovered, New York would probably have been razed to the ground by this captain's individual heroism." Tony shrugged, his playful expression fading, and his tone gradually became serious. "Back to the point, I have my own judgment about Lynn."

His fingertips tapped lightly on the table, displaying a meticulousness and insight unique to genius, hitting the nail on the head.

"I faced him head-on during that hearing. This man is neither a madman nor a born killer."

Tony's voice was calm as he analyzed, word by word, "All his killings had a clear target of revenge."

"Ross, the judge who framed him, and the soldier who fired the first shot at him, did not indiscriminately attack any civilians."

"Even with that last punch he threw at me, he clearly held back, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here now."

"His core demand has never been to subvert anything or to carry out terrorist attacks, but simply to protect himself and fight back."

""

"Whoever puts a knife to his neck, he'll chop off their head. Simple, brutal, but logically sound."

L

Tony paused, tapped his fingertips heavily on the table, and his tone suddenly became serious.

"But that doesn't mean his actions were right."

"Those soldiers who were following orders were not heinous villains; they had families, yet they died by his axe."

"We understand his anger, but we absolutely cannot condone his actions. My thought is that we should avoid a full-scale war if possible. If we confront him head-on, we might win—"

"But the price to pay will exceed everyone's imagination, and New York will be completely turned into a battlefield."

"But this doesn't mean we should sit idly by and wait to die. We must have corresponding countermeasures. Upgrading our armor and developing combat plans must be put on the agenda."

"After all, none of us know where his bottom line is or what he will do next."

At this point, he looked at Coulson and raised an eyebrow.

"Speaking of which, I just woke up and haven't had time to find out the details yet. How did the captain's solo mission today go?"

"Surely a few words aren't enough to make that monster lay down his sword?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fury gave Coulson a cold glance.

Coulson immediately understood, picked up the tablet in his hand, walked quickly to Tony, and turned the screen towards him.

On the screen was the complete surveillance video of the coffee shop, along with Lynn's war declaration that had spread throughout the United States, which was cut out separately and placed in the most prominent position.

Tony's gaze fell on the screen, and the relaxation on his face gradually faded.

He watched Lynn's arrogant demeanor in the video as he faced Rogers and a group of agents, and heard the line, "I am fully prepared to fight S.H.I.E.L.D., Congress, and the entire U.S. military."

The astonishment on his face deepened, and finally he abruptly raised his head, staring intently at Rogers.

"So, this is the result of your heart-to-heart talk?"

Tony's voice rose instantly, filled with incredulous anger.

"I thought you could at least make him back down a little, but what happened? Not only did you not make him stop, you made him issue a declaration of war in front of all the media in New York?!"

"Rogers, do you even know what you've done?"

"Your self-righteous meeting brought absolutely no benefit; on the contrary, it completely escalated the situation and thoroughly enraged him!"

"Now the whole of America is watching. What will those old fogies in Congress and the Security Council think?"

"They'll just think that S.H.I.E.L.D. can't even handle something this small, which will force them to order a full-scale crackdown!"

Rogers' face darkened, and he was about to speak in his defense when Tony interrupted him.

"I know what you're trying to say."

"You think he had good intentions, and that he only killed evil people, right?"

Tony scoffed, his eyes filled with disappointment and frustration.

"Captain, you're oversimplifying things!"

"If his resentment could be quelled with just a few words from you, he wouldn't have chosen to publicly behead Ross in the first place, and he wouldn't have chosen to solve problems through killing!"

He sighed helplessly, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his throbbing temples.

He knew all too well that Rogers' entire understanding of Lynn came from other people's retellings; he had never actually met Lynn and knew nothing about the man's logic.

This war is now unavoidable.

The high-ranking officials in Washington were already extremely wary of Lynn, this uncontrollable variable.

Now that Lynn has declared war, it's like a tickling of nerves; they will never allow such a person to continue living in downtown New York.

"I don't think I did anything wrong."

Rogers finally spoke, his voice steady and firm, without the slightest wavering.

"I saw him with my own eyes and spoke to him."

"He wasn't born evil; he had good intentions. The people he killed were indeed wicked people who deserved their fate, and the soldiers who died were just innocent victims caught in the crossfire of his rage."

"I went to him to persuade him to put the argument aside, stop the killing, and resolve the issue in a more reasonable way."

"I didn't expect him to be so resolute, but that doesn't mean I did anything wrong."

He looked up at the crowd, his eyes filled with an undeniable sense of mission.

"I am Captain America. My job is to identify problems in advance, prevent problems, and solve problems."

"This is Captain America's mission, and it has never changed from World War II to the present. I have the ability to solve it, so I must do it."

"Oh My God."

Tony covered his face and let out a desperate groan.

"Captain, this isn't like those inspiring WWII documentaries you watch. You can't change the mind of a ruthless killer just because of your righteous slogans."

"This is not a problem that you can solve by yourself, otherwise you wouldn't have fallen into the ice and been frozen for seventy years."

He abruptly turned to look at Fury, his tone full of impatience.

"Fury, can we get rid of this old fogey who's obsessed with individual heroism?"

"Our team doesn't need someone who only causes trouble out of enthusiasm."

"That's enough!"

Fury suddenly spoke, a fierce glint flashing in his single eye, forcefully suppressing the argument between the two.

The conference room fell silent instantly, with only Tony's disgruntled snort remaining.

Fury's gaze swept over Rogers, then over Tony, and finally landed on the holographic projections on either side of the long table.

Those were Barton, Rhodes, and Natasha, who were still recovering in the hospital. The three of them had listened to the entire meeting in silence, and now they all looked up at each other.

"Now is not the time for infighting."

"Lynn is already putting us in a passive position, we can't afford to panic first."

Fury's tone carried an unquestionable command.

"Captain Rogers, I don't care what you're thinking, but until I return from Washington, you are not allowed to do anything impulsive, and you are not allowed to go to see Lynn without prior notice."

"Tony, continue upgrading your armor, and work with Coulson to refine the combat plan against Lynn."

"Everyone must wait until Barton, Rhodes, and Natasha have fully recovered from their injuries and the entire team is assembled before making any further decisions."

"Did you understand?"

"clear."

Tony pursed his lips and reluctantly agreed.

"clear."

The three people on either side of the long table responded in unison.

Rogers remained silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded without saying anything more.

But no one knew that this verbal promise never truly entered his heart.

Late that night, New York fell asleep. The streets of Manhattan were deserted, with only the streetlights casting dappled shadows on the road.

Around the Fisker Building.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, huddled in the surveillance van, stared at the screen with boredom, completely unaware that a figure, like a ghost, used the shadows of the building to bypass all the visible and hidden sentries and silently made its way to an alley a hundred meters away from the building.

Steve Rogers.

He was dressed in his iconic attire, completely blending into the night, clutching his signature vibranium shield tightly in his hand, and even his breathing was kept to a minimum.

His gaze swept across the surveillance cameras on the building's exterior wall, accurately memorizing the blind spots of each camera. He moved lightly along the base of the wall without making a sound.

He wasn't unaware of Fury and Tony's intentions, nor was he oblivious to their concerns.

But this whole thing started because of him.

It was he who went to see Lynn without permission, which escalated the conflict and ignited the fuse of war.

Then he must bear this responsibility.

After a long afternoon of deliberation, he finally decided to come to the Fisk Building alone.

He wasn't there to carry out a decapitation strike, nor was he there to kill Lynn.

What he had to do was to subdue Lynn himself, bring him back to S.H.I.E.L.D., and put him to trial.

Although he had never faced Lynn in a direct confrontation, he had absolute confidence in his own abilities.

The Super Soldier Serum granted him strength, speed, reflexes, and over seventy years of combat experience accumulated during his battles.

This would give him the confidence to subdue Lynn without causing unnecessary casualties.

Moreover, since this war was unavoidable and originated from him, he had to end it himself.

If he can bring Lynn back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and lock him up in the most secure prison, the ensuing full-scale war will naturally not happen, and countless innocent civilians and soldiers will be saved.

This is not vigilante justice; it is the responsibility he must bear as Captain America.

He had already investigated thoroughly and found out that there were no civilians near the Fisk Building, and inside the entire building, there were only Lynn, Frank, and the bald mage who was with Lynn.

A maximum of three people.

As long as the battle is won quickly, innocent people will not be affected.

This is the only reason he chose to operate at night.

Rogers took a deep breath, seized the moment during the brief interval between the switching of the surveillance footage, and in a flash, he darted to the entrance of the building's fire escape.

With a gentle twist of his wrist, he broke the lock on the passageway door, slipped inside silently, and closed the door behind him.

The entire building was deathly silent, with only the emergency lights emitting a faint green glow that illuminated the empty stairwell.

Rogers gripped his shield tightly and ascended lightly to the top floor without making a sound.

All his plans and all his confidence were built on two foundations—

First: Lynn was completely unprepared.

Secondly, his strength is enough to suppress Lynn.

What he didn't know was that from the moment his figure stepped into the Fisker Building's 100-meter radius!

His name had already turned into a glaring red name, clearly appearing in the field of vision of the [Control Guard] set up by Lynn.

In the office on the top floor of the Fisker Building.

Lynn leaned back on the sofa, toying with a glass of whiskey in his hand, and stared at the red name on the virtual screen in front of him that was steadily approaching along the stairs, a cold smile playing on his lips.

In fact, he wasn't the first person to discover it.

After all, the "Control Guard" feature can alert Lynn to the appearance of enemies, but it doesn't have an "alarm" function!

Frank, however, noticed something was amiss.

After all, Lynn had only raised a possibility in the afternoon, as a joke, but in Frank's eyes, it was something that could happen, so he had to take precautions in advance.

Rogers's furtive movements went unnoticed, but Frank discovered several of the most dangerous locations through surveillance footage, including a fire escape.

Although no trace was found, the broken door lock was clearly visible, which immediately alerted Lynn.

After recognizing the person who had come, he couldn't help but smile.

His arrival—was, in a way, quite reasonable.

This Captain America, whose mind is full of individual heroism, is never one to obediently listen to orders.

Infiltrate in the dead of night, eliminate your opponent one-on-one, and end the conflict with minimal losses.

That is the best solution at present.

Unfortunately, he chose the wrong opponent.

Lynn put down his wine glass, and with a flick of his finger, the solid wood door to the office slid open silently a crack.

Frank's crimson gaze was precisely fixed on the direction of the stairwell, his grip on the shotgun tightened, and his fingertips rested steadily on the trigger.

Since the guests have come to us on their own initiative, how can we not treat them well?

Lynn picked up the whiskey on the table, raised his glass towards the stairwell, and the smile in his eyes grew deeper and colder.

Rogers drove all the way to the top floor, keeping the noise as low as possible, making almost no sound at all.

But in front of Lynn, who had "opened the door," all the hidden actions seemed somewhat ridiculous.

Immediately, Lynn looked at the cracked door, chuckled, and called out softly to Rogers, who was walking slowly outside.

"Friend, since you're already here—why not just come in openly and honestly?"

"Sneaking around like that—isn't that more like the 'captain's' personality?"