American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

Chapter 136 Is Not Signing the Agreement a Form of Treason?

"Boss, should we send someone to pick you up?"

Hearing Alice's words, Lynn nodded and said, "No need, you go first, I'll be there soon!"

With such a serious case occurring in New York, Lynn, as the head of the FBI field office in New York, would certainly have to rush to the scene immediately!

After hanging up the phone, Lynn looked around and then asked Friday, "Friday, have the rest of the Illuminati continue dealing with those superhuman criminals!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Do you need my help?"

Descending from the sky, Ultron pointed to the Mind Stone above his head: "Perhaps I can help save even more people!"

"Alright!"

Lynn nodded as he looked at Ultron, who had volunteered.

When Lynn and Ultron arrived at the scene, it was already cordoned off.

Officials from the NYPD, fire department, port authority, and medical services have all arrived at the scene.

Even the mayor and deputy mayor rushed over.

Seeing the horrific scene before him, Ultron used the Mind Stone to sense the damage and then said to Lynn, "This disaster has killed at least a thousand people, and there are still many survivors trapped under the collapsed tunnel. I'm going to help!"

"good!"

Nodding, Lynn walked towards Alice and the others.

"Boss, you're here!"

Seeing Lynn approaching, Alice immediately ran over and said, "I just had someone check the scene, and they found no traces of an explosion. The people at the subway control center have also been taken into custody by our people."

"After inspection, it was found that no one had forcibly entered the control center, and there were no signs of network intrusion. Therefore, the preliminary conclusion is that this incident was not caused by a terrorist attack!"

"However, the control center's workbench is showing an anomaly. Joey has already tried to access the network to gather clues." Hearing Alice say this, Lynn nodded and then walked towards Uncle George.

"We must excavate the collapsed tunnel as quickly as possible and rescue the injured. This accident has had a very serious impact, so we must investigate it thoroughly immediately!"

As Lynn approached, Hydra Mayor Chris Bell was speaking gravely with Uncle George. Upon seeing Lynn, Bell gave a barely perceptible nod, then addressed Lynn in front of everyone: "Chief Lynn, do you have any leads from the FBI?"

In response to the mayor's inquiry, Lynn said, "An investigation has been launched, and preliminary findings suggest a terrorist attack can be ruled out. The specific cause of the incident is still under investigation, but I think we'll have an answer soon!"

As they were talking, a large group of reporters rushed over upon hearing the news.

Seeing the reporters rushing over, Chris Bell shook hands with Lynn and said, "I'll deal with the media first, Director Lynn. I'll leave the situation to you!"

After saying that, Chris Bell walked toward the reporters outside the police line.

Watching Chris Bell leave, George Stacy approached Lynn with a grave expression and whispered:

Was it a simple accident or a man-made disaster?

Seeing Lynn nod, George Stacy muttered a curse under his breath: "F*** you, these fucking lunatics."

"Uncle George, I suspect this is related to that group of superhuman criminals who suddenly appeared in New York. If I'm not mistaken, they're probably under the orders of the same mastermind!"

"So, leave this to the FBI; you don't need to get involved!"

Hearing Lynn's words, George Stacy nodded: "Okay, from now on, you're in charge of the NYPD in New York. Make sure you arrest all those lunatics!"

At dusk, inside the Sunlight Association base.

"Lynn, has the investigation into the New York subway accident been completed?"

In response to Steve's question, Lynn nodded: "According to the monitoring in the control room, the cause of this disaster was that the engineer in the control room pressed the track change button while the subway was in motion."

"After the FBI arrested and interrogated the engineer, they found that he had no recollection of what he had done, as if he had been under mind control."

"We checked his communication records and recent social interactions, and found nothing unusual."

"Therefore, our initial hypothesis is that his brain has been hacked!"

Upon hearing Lynn's words, Tony Stark asked, "The mastermind?"

"That should be about right, everyone. Get ready. Perhaps after tonight, all sorts of harsh criticism will come crashing down on our Illuminati and the Avengers!"

After saying that, Lynn got up and walked towards the lounge.

Just as Lynn had predicted, in a single night, public opinion shifted from questioning why the disaster happened to questioning the Illuminati and the Avengers.

First, someone publicly questioned online why, even though both the Illuminati and the Avengers superheroes were in New York, so why were there still so many superpowered criminals in New York committing arson, murder, and looting everywhere?

Is it because of the emergence of these superheroes that super-powered criminals have appeared?

Otherwise, why don't other cities have criminals with superpowers?

Then the wind began to shift again, questioning whether superheroes were the source of the disaster.

In the end, the narrative shifted to the idea that all the disasters were due to the Illuminati and the Avengers' lack of oversight and management.

If superheroes were subject to government jurisdiction and orders, there would be no New York subway tragedy or superpowered criminals.

Even after the New York FBI revealed the true cause of the subway disaster, the narrative was still deliberately swayed, with people believing that the Illuminati and the Avengers were responsible!

In just three days, a wave of public opinion swept over the superheroes, with many members of Congress even standing in front of the media and publicly stating that if the superheroes chose to be under the jurisdiction of Congress, the United States would definitely become safer.

Furthermore, within these three days, the "Superhero Registration Act," which had been under discussion, was directly approved and officially implemented.

Suddenly, the Illuminati and all the Avengers superheroes seemed to have become "rats crossing the street" to be condemned by the whole world!

Inside the Illuminati base.

They were being condemned by people all over the United States, and protests against them appeared inexplicably in major cities.

Tony Stark's expression was extremely serious at this moment: "As expected, things have gone as we predicted. By the way, New York, like other cities, has seen large-scale public demonstrations."

"Lynn, isn't this also orchestrated by those politicians in Congress? Now the Illuminati and the Avengers seem to be facing criticism from all over the world. Should we release the video?"

In response to Tony's questioning, Lynn said, "The protests in other cities, which incited public opinion against us, were orchestrated by Congress, but the protests in New York were secretly pushed on by me!"

"Um?"

Tony was puzzled by Lynn's words, but Lynn didn't explain: "As for the video, there's no rush to release it. Let's let things develop a bit more!"

As they were talking, Friday suddenly said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the marchers have appeared at the Illuminati headquarters, and dozens of media outlets are outside the headquarters trying to cover the event!"

As soon as Friday finished speaking, shouts of "punishment" suddenly rang out from outside the base.

Listening to those extremely "radical" voices, Tony looked at Lynn with a strange expression and said, "Are you sure you really orchestrated this march? It sounds like their insults are even more extreme than those secretly stirring things up online?"

"If I can't even control my own territory, then I don't deserve to be the director of the FBI in New York."

"As for the person leading the march, I had him found that too!"

Just then, Lynn's phone rang.

Lynn picked up her phone and glanced at the text message, then asked Friday to change the channel.

On screen, the Secretary of State stands at the Pentagon entrance, holding the registration bill and saying to the camera: "After discussion and deliberation in Congress, the Superhero Registration Act, proposed by Congressman Conley Dwyer and personally pushed by me, will officially take effect."

"I will personally travel to New York to urge the members of the Illuminati and the Avengers to sign this agreement."

Upon hearing the Secretary of State's words, one of the reporters immediately asked, "Mr. Secretary, what will you do if those superheroes refuse to sign this agreement? Will you issue arrest warrants for them?"

"Mr. Secretary, there's a prevailing opinion online and among the public that superheroes are the root cause of the disaster. What's your take on this?"

"Mr. Secretary of State..."

Faced with a barrage of questions from the reporters, the Secretary of State immediately stated, "The passage of this bill signifies that Congress has the authority to oversee and regulate these superheroes. For the sake of our nation's safety, I hope the Illuminati and the Avengers' superheroes will sign the document!"

"I know this agreement is hard for superheroes to accept, but for the safety of the country and its people, I hope they will seriously consider it."

"Of course, if someone refuses to sign the documents, the best option is to 'retire' and never use their supernatural abilities again for the rest of their life; otherwise, they will be considered a threat to national security!"

Watching the Secretary of State being interviewed on television, Lynn turned around and said, "The show's finally starting. Want to join in and finish this act?"

Upon hearing Lynn's words, Steve and Tony stood up at the same time and followed Lynn out of the base.

When Lynn, Captain America, and Iron Man appeared together, the protesters became even more "radical," and dozens of media outlets abandoned their interviews with the demonstrators and rushed to the three to ask questions.

"Mr. Hall, we have just received news that the Superhero Registration Act has officially taken effect. The Secretary of State claims that not signing this agreement constitutes treason. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Captain Rogers, you will choose to sign this bill and thus accept the supervision and orders of the US government."

Would they still choose "treason"?

"Mr. Stark, if you don't sign the bill, you will be wanted, arrested, and tried for treason. What are your thoughts on that?"

Listening to these journalists constantly distorting the Secretary of State's words, even turning the charge of endangering national security into treason.

Tony and Steve exchanged a glance.

Well, it's obvious without even thinking that these reporters were asking these questions on Lynn's orders!

"Quiet!"

As soon as Lynn said "Quiet," the reporters who had been chattering away fell silent, and even the leader of the protest march raised his hands to signal the crowd to quiet down.

Once the scene quieted down, Lynn looked at the dozens of media outlets and the massive marching crowd and said directly, "I know you all want the Illuminati and the Avengers to sign the Superhero Homepage Act to better protect this world!"

"But what you may not know is that the real purpose of this bill is to divide superhero teams!"

Upon hearing Lynn's words, one of the media reporters who specialized in "cooperating" with the New York FBI immediately asked, "Mr. Lynn, are you saying that the Superhero Registration Act is intended to split the Illuminati and the Avengers?"

"Yes!""

Looking at the suspicious crowd, Lynn nodded and said, "Let me first explain why we disagree with signing this bill. I know that Congress originally enacted this bill to supervise and manage the actions of superheroes."

"But if the Illuminati and the Avengers accept this agreement, then all superheroes will not only lose their human rights and personal freedoms, but will also become tools in the hands of those in power!"

"If this power falls into the hands of an ambitious individual under the guise of a 'legislative agreement,' the entire world will face a catastrophe!"

At this point, Lynn looked at the crowd, who had quieted down and were all looking at him, and continued, "I think you haven't forgotten what happened with Hydra!"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. was infiltrated and controlled by Hydra. The U.S. Congress, the Pentagon, and the political arena in every state and city were also filled with Hydra's shadow. If it weren't for the Illuminati and the Avengers turning the tide and destroying Hydra, the Earth would already be in Hydra's hands!"

"Perhaps you think I'm exaggerating, but who can guarantee that there aren't other ambitious schemers in the political arena right now?"

"Just like this reporter said, now that the bill has passed, if we refuse to sign it, we will be wanted by the police, or even charged with treason!"

"But have you ever thought about why we would be accused of such a serious crime if we didn't sign the bill?"

Upon hearing Lynn's words, both the reporters and the protesters exchanged glances and began to speculate in hushed tones.

Yes, he is a superhero who has saved the world more than once. Even if he is unwilling to sign the bill, he should not be accused of such a serious crime as treason!

Everyone's expression was filled with suspicion and doubt.

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Lynn continued to increase the stakes: "I can tell you why this is so. It's because this bill itself is a conspiracy against the Illuminati and the Avengers, designed to divide all superheroes, even incite a civil war, so that the real conspirators can rule the world!"

"The superhuman criminals who have appeared in New York these days, and the tragic subway collision—these are all orchestrated by a mastermind to deceive you and then manipulate public opinion to force us to sign this bill!"

Upon hearing Lynn's words, the scene erupted in uproar, with reporters pointing microphones at him, demanding, "Director Lynn, what evidence do you have to support your claim?"

"Mr. Hall, do you mean someone is manipulating this behind the scenes?"

"Mr. Lynn..."

Lynn raised her hand to stop the reporters from asking questions, took the laptop from Tony, and then inserted a USB drive into the laptop.

"I have evidence for what I say, of course. I wonder if any of you remember Congressman Conley Dwyer?"

As soon as Lynn finished speaking, the "initiator" of the march immediately shouted, "Conley Dwyer was the congressman who introduced this bill, but he was killed in front of Washington Hospital!"

"That's right!"

Hearing his accomplice's loud cheers, Lynn started playing the video and had Friday use a holographic projection to enlarge it so that everyone could see it.

In the video, the supposedly dead "Conley Dwyer" suddenly appears and confesses that the bill was orchestrated by his master to incite a civil war among superheroes.

Once the superheroes are both severely injured, his master will be able to easily rule the world after losing these superhero opponents.

Even if a superhero steps forward, they might be wanted by the United States.

As the video played, the crowd at the scene erupted in uproar once again.

Upon learning the truth, the crowd was outraged, and some even began to curse the president.

"Pfft...they've got the wrong person! They should be criticizing the Secretary of State!"

Hearing the vicious curses of the protesting crowd, Tony Stark whispered to Steve, "Why aren't Black Bolt and Medusa here yet?"

As soon as Tony finished speaking, a helicopter appeared above them.

Soon, Black Bolt and Medusa stepped off the helicopter and came to Lynn's side.

"I think you all know my wife and me. Yes, my wife and I are the leaders of the Inhumans, and the ones who signed the Registration Act on behalf of the Inhumans in Washington!"

In front of the cameras and the marching crowd, Medusa spoke up: "Originally, we Inhumans lived on the island of Attilan, without interfering with humans, but Conley Dwyer and the mastermind behind it all destroyed Attilan."

"Not only that, the mastermind behind the scenes has also incited many 'big shots' to demand that we Inhumans sign the Registration Act. If we don't sign, then they will start a war between humans and us Inhumans!"

"In order to prevent our fellow human beings from suffering the persecution of war, and in order to prevent humanity from suffering heavy casualties, we Inhumans have no choice but to sign this bill."

At this point, Medusa looked at the camera and said, "But ever since this bill was signed, the US government has imprisoned us Inhumans on Staten Island so that they can keep a close watch on the Illuminati and the Avengers."

"If the Illuminati and the Avengers refuse to sign the bill, then the Inhumans will have to cooperate with the US government and wipe out all the superheroes!"