As soon as these words were spoken, neither Jessica nor Miles could believe what they were hearing.
No matter how one looked at it, both the Ultimate Alliance and S.H.I.E.L.D. had once saved the Earth.
For things to turn around like this now—it was as if they were being completely discarded.
Bruce, however, didn't care whether they believed it or not.
He simply turned back and resumed his work.
The moment S.H.I.E.L.D. fell into disarray and the United States started hunting down former superheroes, this country was destined to be engulfed in war.
Bruce had already laid out all the information he could gather before him.
The latest policies issued by the U.S. government, the actions currently being taken by the Heavenly Kingdom—he had all of it. But when it came to the Metropolis, he had no solutions.
The claim that Metropolis had developed a thousand years beyond human civilization was not just an empty boast.
Even the AI that shared its name with the city could slay superhumans in their battles.
This level of evolution was far beyond what an ordinary invasion could handle.
After all, that entity had completely integrated the entire Metropolis into its own being.
However, judging from the state of the U.S. and the Heavenly Kingdom, it was clear when the war would break out.
They were already prepared to launch at any moment.
The stance of the United States, however, was far more ambiguous. Not only were they waiting for the war to begin, but they were also waiting for the perfect opportunity to insert themselves.
Their best-case scenario was to eliminate all threats in the shortest time possible through this conflict.
While Bruce continued reviewing information, Jessica was deep in thought, trying to find even a sliver of hope in this situation.
The Ultimate Alliance was undeniably fractured beyond repair. Nick Fury had gone to the Heavenly Kingdom, and it was still unclear whether he was even aware of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current condition.
All she could do was hide for now.
Jessica paced anxiously.
Just then, Bruce's gaze suddenly fixed on one of the screens. It was a live feed from the security cameras he had set up to monitor the area around Aunt May's house.
On the screen, a small shadow appeared—abruptly and out of place.
Bruce immediately stood up, gathering his weapons and some small gadgets.
"What's going on?" Miles, who had been growing irritated by Jessica's pacing, perked up the moment he saw Bruce spring into action.
Something was happening.
Excitement flickered in his eyes.
But when Bruce turned and looked at him, the young Spider-Man instinctively shrank back.
He wasn't sure if he had said something wrong or done something he shouldn't have.
The way Bruce looked at him—it almost felt like a reprimand.
But he had no idea what he had done wrong.
Yet, for some reason, he always felt a little intimidated when facing Bruce.
"Stay here and behave. I'll handle this." Bruce stepped onto a separate elevator, rising upwards.
Before leaving, he signaled to Aunt May.
Miles was genuinely confused.
Had he done something wrong again?
If it weren't for the situation at hand, he would have suspected that this bat had a personal grudge against him.
Otherwise, why was Bruce always so wary of him and not Jessica?
Jessica, meanwhile, walked over to Miles and gave his outfit a thorough once-over.
She had to make sure.
Had someone planted a tracker on him during their escape?
If so, then they were already completely exposed to the enemy.
"I need to go out for a bit."
Jessica didn't find anything unusual about Miles, but she knew this situation had arisen because of her. It was her responsibility to step forward and resolve it.
Hiding here like a coward was not an option.
However, before she could reach the elevator, Aunt May had already stopped her.
"Staying here is the best choice. That kid will find his own way," Aunt May said gently, sipping her coffee as she spoke to Jessica.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a fully armed squad of American soldiers awaited orders from their superior to launch an assault.
The surrounding civilians had already been completely evacuated.
Even with newly developed weapons specifically designed to combat superhumans, the soldiers still lacked confidence in facing such opponents.
When Bruce exited through another passage of the Spider's Den, he immediately noticed that Aunt May's house was surrounded with no possible escape routes.
However, he had never intended to engage in a direct confrontation with them from the beginning.
Operations of this scale typically had a command vehicle stationed nearby to monitor the situation in real time and make quick decisions.
Remote command wouldn't allow for immediate responses to unexpected developments.
Bruce's guess was correct. The command vehicle was indeed positioned quite close to him.
"Sir, when do we initiate the attack?" a soldier sitting inside the vehicle asked the commander, who had his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
The commander remained silent, idly toying with a coin in his hand.
Receiving no response, the soldier had no choice but to return to his task. Without the commander's orders, they could do nothing.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from the roof of the command vehicle, as if a small stone had been dropped onto it.
The soldier in the driver's seat instinctively moved to step out and investigate, but before he could fully leave his seat, a hand reached down from above and yanked him out.
Bruce swiftly flipped inside the command vehicle.
With a flick of his wrist, a Batarang embedded itself into the computer screen they were using.
The sudden attack caught most of the personnel inside off guard.
Even those who instinctively reached for their guns were stopped before they could draw, as Batarangs struck their arms, pinning them in place.
The commander, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally opened them at that moment.
Seeing Bruce in a superhero-like suit, he flashed a strange grin—then delivered a powerful kick to Bruce's chest.
In an instant, Bruce was sent crashing through the front windshield of the command vehicle, flying through the air.
For a brief moment, Bruce felt as if he had been hit head-on by a truck.
"I really despise you so-called superheroes. You refuse to follow government orders, and you won't cooperate with us," the commander said as he stepped out of the vehicle.
Only then was his full stature revealed under the sunlight.
His towering height, almost like a giant's, radiated an overwhelming sense of oppression.
To make matters worse, as he moved, he tore his own military uniform to shreds.
Beneath it, his massive, muscular physique was fully exposed.
His body bore numerous scars and even several bullet wounds.
(End of Chapter)
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