Chapter 398 - 397 | Crossing The Border, Hitting The Muzzle.
Human joys and sorrows aren't interlinked - This is a famous quote from a master in the East.
Together with Romain Rolland in the West, he was known as 'The Golden Treasures of Essay Writing.'
When we don't know who said a quote…
Or we remember a quote but don't remember the original author…
Then we write linking names to it.
When Strange in the Earth-91 was scratching his head over family relationships in Asgard…
Superman, in Earth-1024, was calm.
The citizens of New York live and work in peace and contentment and have lived a quiet life.
No masked heroes, no evil villains.
The only thing to worry about every day was probably the international situation on TV and newspaper headlines.
However, due to the existence of Superman, the world that should have been shrouded in the shadow of nuclear war was now sunny on the surface.
The three-sided powerhouse structure turned out to be the most stable.
Polarization may lead to a bad nuclear war, with two gamblers at the same table, desperate to place all their chips on the table and be the last winner.
But after the third pole appeared, the situation was different.
The two superpowers could only develop silently.
Whether it was an arms race, the Warsaw Pact, or NATO, they were all repeatedly testing the waters at the edge of danger.
Because they couldn't be sure which side the most powerful man on the planet was leaning on.
Placing all their chips on the table wasn't a wise thing to do.
'This year's Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to me. '
Luke sat in S.H.I.E.L.D's office, thinking of the embarrassing award with shady elements, which was so much more gilded than the real gold it contained.
Its popular candidate was either a war monger, such as the mustached Fuhrer.
Or the British Prime Minister, such as Winston Churchill.
Or the President of the United States, from Hoover to Roosevelt, and then from Truman to Eisenhower.
Citing the comments of later generations, it was rare to see an international award with 'politics' so obviously written on its face as the Nobel Peace Prize.
It's just that Luke thought about it for a moment…
He thought it was possible that he was in the first tier, and the award fund should be in the upper tier.
As long as the President of the United States didn't have anything better to do than throw laundry detergent into Atlantis, initiate war, and provoke conflicts, then he had made a great contribution to world peace.
Therefore, Mr. Trump, the 'Nobody knows this and that better than me' blowhard nomination, was well deserved.
'I wonder what's going on at Strange's?'
Since Luke replied to the two messages in a row, Strange didn't bother him anymore, as if his mobile phone was in remission.
This made him think on the bright side, that the crisis might have been solved or that the universe might have exploded.
Either way, it meant he didn't have to do anything.
'A mature Sorcerer Supreme has to learn to face it alone. '
Luke smiled and silently cheered for Strange.
He then opened the report on his desk and scanned it for a few minutes.
This was about the progress of Hydra's integration.
Baron Strucker and Dr. Zola reached a consensus, formed an alliance, and began to suppress other factions.
When facing Superman, they couldn't insist. Whitehall and Madame Viper were replaceable.
They were all acquaintances and old friends, so naturally, they had to strike hard.
Hydra was good at fighting external battles but excellent at fighting internal battles.
Especially Baron Strucker. After joining S.H.I.E.L.D, he cleaned up his act and turned over a new leaf.
He demonstrated amazing commitment and enthusiasm for his work.
In less than a month, with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D, several secret Hydra strongholds were destroyed in succession.
They also dismantled a series of safe houses and intelligence networks in North America, Eastern Europe, and Japan.
With his outstanding efficiency and ability, he was qualified to be selected as one of S.H.I.E.L.D's 'Top 10 Employees' this year.
'I can ask Howard to make a 'Hydra Killer' award for the Baron later on. '
Luke was quite satisfied.
His plan was fruitful.
Sure enough, only Hydra could deal with Hydra.
With Baron Strucker's efficiency, it wouldn't take long for his Kryptonian ship to arrive.
If it were Captain America, they wouldn't have made any progress in the next 3 to 5 years.
Villains didn't need to worry about means and reputation.
But superheroes were different. There were many things to consider.
Casualties, property losses, compliance with international laws, violation of rules and regulations from S.H.I.E.L.D, and so on.
Luke was brainstorming while working on the documents.
Moments later, he suddenly lifted his head and looked into an open portal in the void.
Magical sparks pulsated as a portal emerged out of nowhere.
A bald master, dressed in white robes, appeared before his eyes.
"What can I do for you, Master Ancient One?"
Luke narrowed his eyes and asked softly.
The Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar Taj was always on the lookout for things to do.
If he was right, the odds were that it was also for Strange of the other universe.
"I have been asked to invite you somewhere."
The Ancient One cut to the chase. She didn't beat around the bush.
"I almost wanted to ignore it, and I didn't intend to cause you any trouble."
"I hate owing people favors, especially the ones that … are hard to repay."
"However, the situation is critical and dire, so I have to ask for your help."
The Sorcerer Supreme shook her head with a wry smile. If it weren't for the Vishanti, she wouldn't have visited Luke.
After all, Superman wasn't Dormammu, whom she didn't have to pay for what she owed.
"It seems that the Vishanti are going to give the task of saving the world."
The corners of Luke's mouth curled up. The Sorcerer Supreme was implying that he should be the one to put out the fire in the other universe this time.
He had no idea what insurmountable difficulties Strange had encountered and needed to call upon him.
"Before I say yes, I have a question."
Luke tapped his finger on the desktop and asked, "You're also the Sorcerer Supreme, and you are the number one fighter for Vishanti. Shouldn't this kind of work be given to you? "
The Ancient One gave her opponent a blank look. 'What do you mean by 'fighter'?
For the sake of being a colleague, the bald master didn't mind it.
"To put it in terms that you can understand, the federal-state police will not interfere with the work of Interpol."
The Ancient One explained.
"Otherwise, why else would Vishanti make you the Sorcerer Supreme of that universe?"
"Only then will you be eligible to intervene."
"Countless parallel universes, countless boxes of different sizes. Random interference, enter and leave at will, will cause terrible catastrophes."
Later, the Ancient One added, "Don't act so helpless. Working part-time for the Vishanti isn't too shabby."
"You don't have to sign a slave contract. You don't have to clock in and out every day. You're much freer than I am."
Perhaps because they were now colleagues, the Ancient One's attitude was lighter than before.
From her words, it was easy to see the sorrow of being a contracted worker.
"Well then, let's say it's a business trip."
Luke nodded. The Sorcerer Supreme seat was not as comfortable as he expected it to be.
As the Ancient One said, he didn't sign a slave contract, and his relationship with the Vishanti was a normal transaction.
If he didn't want to, no one could force him to.
"Give my regards to the other one for me. Forget it. I think he's retired and on holiday."
The Ancient One shook her head and smiled. Her heir wasn't born yet.
The Sorcerer Supreme withdrew her thoughts and raised a finger.
Under the dazzling white light, she directly opened a portal across the universe.
Boom!
The entire space shattered open!
Luke only felt he had blinked, and he wasn't on Earth 1024 anymore.
There was a cacophony of voices, calls, screams, and a hail of gunfire and smoke.
The ruins beneath his feet were so hot that they looked like flowing lava.
A cloud of white smoke billowed up and out, obscuring the view.
Roar!
Sound waves vibrated!
Like the roar of a prehistoric creature, it swept away the rolling smoke from the ruins.
A large figure filled Luke's vision.
He was a titan, full of strength and power.
In his right hand, he held a metal war hammer in the air and roared in a fury.
"Get out of my way!"
The titan looked down at the strangers in ruins, and without saying a word, he swung the metal hammer and smashed it down.
He was eager to kill!
Thirst for Destruction!
He was ——
Kuurth!
Breaker of Stone!