Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Sign in to the True Vision Guardian! Tony's headache and worry!
Chapter 9: Sign in to the True Vision Guardian! Tony's headache and worry!
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After seeing Gwen off, Lorien glanced at the clock and prepared to wrap up for the day. As the hands pointed to five o'clock in the afternoon, he shut his office door and headed out.
"Check in," Lorien murmured to himself.
[Check-in successful!]
[Obtain: True Vision Guardian x3]
"True Vision Guardian?" Lorien read the description that appeared.
[True Vision Guard: Once activated, it creates a zone within which any form of external surveillance—visual, electronic, or psychic—becomes ineffective unless it physically enters the range.]
Understanding dawned on Lorien. "The True Eye from Runeterra," he thought. This was an invaluable tool.
"Perfect," he nodded with satisfaction. With three of these, he could place one in his office and one at home, ensuring both places were shielded from unwanted observation. Given the capabilities of beings like Jarvis, Ultron, and Vision, who could exploit cameras worldwide, installing one at home seemed essential to maintain privacy.
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As evening descended, Wanda Maximoff sat in her room at the Avengers base, deep in thought, staring at the wooden business card Tony had handed her. She had searched the address on her phone; it was located in Manhattan, one of the most bustling parts of New York City.
Currently, Wanda had little desire to visit such a crowded place. The internet was rife with criticism of her. People were calling her an evil witch, blaming her for the collateral damage caused during her last mission. The guilt weighed heavily on her, and she found herself oscillating between two thoughts:
1. Never using her powers again.
2. Avoiding crowded places entirely.
Wanda yearned for solitude, a quiet life away from the judgmental eyes of society. Yet, deep down, she also longed for normalcy—to walk the streets, enjoy simple pleasures, and experience happiness without fear or guilt.
For these reasons, she decided to give Lorien's advice a chance. She glanced down at the business card once more before tucking it into her pocket. Determined, she stood up and began preparing her outfit for the next day: plain blue jeans and an oversized grey hooded sweatshirt. This way, she hoped to blend in and avoid being recognized as the Scarlet Witch.
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Meanwhile, at the newly renovated Stark Tower, Tony Stark sat in his chair, feeling the weight of public opinion pressing down on him. Friday had compiled and analyzed the current sentiments of the citizens, and the prognosis was grim.
Tony rubbed his temples as he reviewed the data. Jarvis, his trusted AI, had evolved into Vision, and now he was dealing with the fallout of their latest crisis. The internet was a battleground of opinions, and nearly half of them were negative towards superheroes.
Among those who still supported the Avengers, many were fans of individual heroes rather than the concept of superheroes as a whole. For every supporter, there seemed to be a critic, voicing anger and opposition.
"Huh~~~," Tony sighed deeply, feeling the stress mount.
"Sir, according to my calculations, there are two most effective ways to quell the opposition," Friday's voice broke through his thoughts.
Tony leaned back and closed his eyes, one hand holding his forehead. "Let's hear them."
"Option one: The Avengers successfully avert a world-ending crisis, demonstrating to society that superheroes are indispensable in dire situations."
Tony exhaled sharply, not looking up. "And the second?"
"Option two: The Avengers go into hiding. Based on current internet information cycles, discussions would decrease by 70% within a year and approach optimal levels in about three years."
Friday added, "Alternatively, full transparency of the Avengers' internal activities could help rebuild public trust."
Tony shook his head in frustration. "That's not much help, Friday."
While Friday's analysis was logical, the solutions were impractical. The Avengers couldn't afford to hide away; they had only recently come together as a team. Moreover, they had just prevented a massive disaster—though the fallout had left Tony in a particularly bad light. Success had brought them honor, but their recent failures had attracted immense criticism.
With no clear turnaround in sight, every effort to repair their image seemed futile.
Tony glanced at a piece of equipment on the table beside him. It was a neural network and intelligent control panel he had developed with Bruce Banner. Now, with Banner was gone too.
Originally, Tony Stark envisioned creating a network of Iron Man suits and an intelligent control center to protect Earth. However, the current wave of public dissent left him discouraged, questioning the value of such an endeavor.
In the solitude of his office, Tony clenched his fist and rested it against his mouth, contemplating his next move late into the night.
"Friday," he called out.
"Yes, sir?" came the prompt reply.
"Maybe your second option is the right one," Tony mused.
"Sir, the second option entails binding the Avengers under United Nations control. Captain America will not agree to this," Friday cautioned.
"That's his problem," Tony replied curtly. "If there are issues, he can deal with them. I'll focus on my work."
"Understood, sir," Friday responded, sensing Tony's determination.
"Alright, bring up the armor design panel. Let's start researching new enhancements," Tony instructed.
"Yes, sir," Friday acknowledged.
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