Chapter 904: Red Sea Fury (Part 2) (Patreon)

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"What is Schiller trying to achieve?" Stark, seated on the sofa in front of the screen, expressed his confusion. "He sent people to attack bases in various states, and then hired Daily Bugle personnel to capture Spider-Man. What exactly is he up to?"

"Oh, Spider-Man has really descended!" Peter exclaimed in surprise as he watched the screen, but the perspective was now Venom's first-person view.

Peter found it intriguing. "So, in the eyes of my adversary, I look like this. It's quite interesting. It seems like I'm a genuine Spider."

"Wait a minute!" Peter suddenly realized, and he said, "He's not really Spider-Man; he's not me. What's the name of that species again? Skrull? They are called Skrull aliens. So why are they trying to uphold justice on Earth?"

Nick smiled and replied, "That's Schiller's purpose. Let me ask you, what is a superhero?"

Peter rubbed his chin and said, "I think being a superhero means doing good deeds. Actually, I don't really like the term 'super.' A hero is just a hero. A hero does things that others can't, dares to stand up and save others in times of need..."

"You got part of it right," Nick responded. Meanwhile, Stark chimed in, "I believe the key to being a superhero lies in the 'super' aspect, our special abilities that set us apart from ordinary people."

"Of course, I think the police are heroes too, especially in the war against vampires, but their capabilities are limited, and they must follow regulations. They can't even use weapons beyond the standard."

"But I'm different. I can provide various forms of firepower support for everyone, regardless of whether these weapons can be owned by civilians. I can use my special abilities to offer them assistance beyond the rules, and that's important."

However, Steve pondered for a moment and said, "The superhero's image is also essential. Over the years, I've had such a significant impact because of the Captain America persona."

"I acknowledge that I wasn't a very charismatic person, and before becoming Captain America, I wasn't very articulate."

"But during the war, the government's propaganda about Captain America gave me great fame, and over time, this image has become a classic in the memory of a generation. So, they prefer to listen to me and believe I'm very reliable."

"Well, let's summarize these points as 'intent,' 'abilities,' and 'image.' 'Intent' means maintaining a sense of justice and kindness, a willingness to do good deeds. 'Abilities' refer to capabilities beyond those of ordinary people. 'Image' is the most recognized image of a superhero by the public."

"These three aspects together constitute a superhero. So, imagine this: what have the Skrulls achieved in these aspects, and what have they not?"

"They've excelled in the image department," Steve shook his head. "So far, I can't see any difference between the person on the screen and me. I can't even distinguish between Iron Man and Spider-Man and the real ones."

"To be frank, if they appeared in front of me, I would genuinely believe they are the real deal. I'm starting to doubt right now who's real and who's not."

Stark chuckled and said, "We all came out of Heaven together, and you already forgot?"

"That's precisely why I'm sitting here with you right now. Otherwise, I would suspect that you've been replaced too."

"This is actually the Skrulls' purpose," Nick lightly tapped the sofa's armrest with his finger. "As soon as you realize that there may be a perfect impersonator among you, you'll instinctively doubt that everyone is a fake."

"By fundamentally undermining the trust among the Avengers, they can achieve their goal of dividing us."

"But at the same time, even though they've disguised their image exceptionally well with almost no flaws, they have some issues in the other two aspects."

"But can't they mimic our abilities?" Peter raised his hand and asked. "So, there are no flaws in terms of abilities, right?"

"Indeed, they can mimic your abilities with no apparent flaws. However, the problem lies in the fact that your abilities themselves have certain vulnerabilities," Nick said, resting his chin on his hand. "We'll talk about your weaknesses later. The only issue right now is that each of you is just one person, with two legs and two hands. You can't be in two places at once; otherwise, you'll be exposed."

"I think I understand now," Stark squinted at the screen, where Spider-Man and Venom were battling. "Schiller has caused so much trouble just to keep them busy."

"But I don't understand why he's doing this. Wouldn't it be better to eliminate them directly? Why bring them to Earth and make us watch?" Stark questioned.

Nick laughed again and said, "Why don't you go back for now, and we'll continue the conversation later? What's even more critical than the vulnerability in abilities is intent."

"Skrulls certainly wouldn't want to save Earthlings, at least not these aliens trying to divide the Avengers. But the problem is, a superhero's compassionate heart and altruistic actions are also a significant part of who they are."

"Imagine this: on a rooftop, several cameras are pointed at Spider-Man, while a monster wanting to devour human brains appears on the street below. If this Spider-Man, following the Skrulls' logic, ignores the impending disaster and this scene is captured by the cameras, do you think Spider-Man's image can withstand the scrutiny?"

Peter pursed his lips and said, "Forget about ignoring it; if I'm just two seconds late in going down, those journalists will make a big fuss. They'll either say I reacted slowly or hesitated and lacked courage..."

Peter sighed and continued, "On those forums, people will nitpick everything I do. They'll say I should land with my back to the sun to blind the opponent's eyes or that I should face the sun for better visibility..."

"In short, no matter what Spider-Man does, it's never right. I've gotten used to it."

"If he really dared to ignore everything and just swoop in, Spider-Man's reputation would be ruined. Those people on the forums would start cursing me left and right. I can imagine what they'd say."

Nick nodded, saying, "Exactly. If superheroes want to have a significant impact, they must maintain a good image. Think about it; Spider-Man ignoring a life-threatening situation, Captain America drinking and smoking, Iron Man being poor and stingy. Do you think your original fans would like these images?"

"Indeed, you don't care about influence because you're doing real work, and you believe in helping one person at a time, regardless of how others perceive it. But these aliens are different. Their goal is to use your identities to incite war."

"Superheroes who are marginalized by society are of no use. They don't want to destroy the world; they want to control it. If they wanted to use their superpowers to obliterate the entire Earth, they would have gone after someone like Magneto."

"Since they haven't done that, it indicates that they desire individuals who are close to centers of power and privilege, and the fact that they didn't go insane immediately after impersonating you means that they want your societal status."

"In that case, they must inevitably maintain this societal identity, uphold the superhero's good image."

"So, if their image, abilities, and, for some reason, even their acts of righteousness and helping others align with yours, then aren't they superheroes?"

The three individuals sitting on the sofa opened their mouths in unison. Stark stroked his chin and said, "I've read discussions on this ethical issue in psychology books, such as what happens when a person's memories and personality are entirely duplicated into another person? Who are they then?"

"If there's a person with Stark's abilities, Stark's image, and is doing the same things as Stark, then isn't he Stark?"

"Of course, you're the one who doesn't need to consider this question," Nick shrugged and looked at Stark. "I'm pretty sure the counterfeit Stark doesn't have the ability to level up, and even if he could, he wouldn't become Iron Sorcerer."

"Moreover, from what I understand, the Skrulls' imitation of your abilities isn't flawless. Specific data hasn't undergone detailed testing, but the upper limit of the abilities they mimic is slightly lower than yours."

"For example, Spider-Man's maximum strength might allow him to lift a whole mountain. So, this impostor's maximum strength might be able to lift four-fifths of a mountain."

"But because the strength used in everyday life doesn't reach the maximum, and Spider-Man usually only deals with ordinary human criminals, the difference in the upper limit of strength isn't easily noticeable. Hence, the disguise appears perfect."

Nick leaned back in his chair and said, "This is also why they didn't attempt to replicate Professor X's abilities."

"If they mimicked Professor X, even though the 20% of power wasn't apparent in everyday life, it would be extremely lethal in a confrontation with the real deal. A watered-down version of Professor X wouldn't stand a chance against the genuine article."

"However, they may not have completely abandoned such a plan," Nick frowned, "While replacing a Psychic openly won't work, as long as they're not discovered, having someone secretly operating with telepathy could still be very convenient."

"If they really try to mimic Professor X, even if they can't brainwash all of humanity globally, brainwashing the entire U.S. alone would be very dangerous," Stark deepened his frown. "This plan is too risky. No, I have to go back to New York..."

"Haven't you realized why so many Skrulls are surrounding Schiller?" Nick looked at the screen and said, "Why would they go through all this trouble to find Professor X?"

Steve slowly opened his mouth and said, "Are you suggesting they want to duplicate Schiller?"

Stark froze in place, "My God! Isn't one Schiller enough? Do we need another identical one?"

"You've seen more Schillers than you think," Nick shrugged lightly. "Don't forget the last S.H.I.E.L.D. meeting. There were at least dozens of Schillers, right?"

Stark covered his forehead, Steve shielded his eyes, and Peter sighed deeply. It was evident that all three of them had haunting memories of that time.

"The problem is, if there's a Schiller under their control, then...?" Stark's deep worry was visible as he furrowed his brow. "If Schiller genuinely becomes loyal to the Skrulls, what are we going to do..."

Nick, on the other hand, wore a bright and sly smile. He said, "Just keep watching; you'll find out soon."

"Dr. Schiller, it's been a while since you visited Arkham Sanatorium, hasn't it? You can go back and handle your recent work, and then we'll meet again," Nick on the screen said to Schiller.

Schiller nodded, said nothing, and left. Watching his departing figure, Nick's expression gradually turned cold. After Schiller had left the base completely, Nick took the elevator and headed to a deeper, secret laboratory.

Inside the laboratory, a green-skinned alien had just emerged from a stasis chamber. The green-skinned being respectfully nodded at Nick, who returned the gesture. Nick asked, "After being in contact with Schiller for so long, have you completed the disguise?"

"His memories are somewhat complex, and I couldn't fully replicate them," the alien showed a visibly troubled expression. "I'm not sure if I copied all of his memories, but from what I can see for now, there aren't significant issues with the logic of life trajectories and memories..."

"Very well, it seems the situation is more complicated than we thought, with trouble erupting everywhere. We need more manpower. Get ready for the impersonation."

The green-skinned Skrull nodded and returned to the stasis chamber, closing his eyes. Then, his appearance began to gradually transform into that of Schiller.

Various memories swirled in his mind, slowly merging with his own memories. However, at that moment, certain details from Schiller's memories were magnified, and numerous words poured into the Skrull's mind like a virus, instantly permeating every corner of his consciousness.

The infectiously powerful words and incidents completely shattered the Skrull's worldview, like a raging Red Sea Fury. Profound understanding and adherence to profound theories were deeply implanted in the Skrull's mind.

When he slowly opened his eyes, all sounds became blurry, but the tides that had yet to recede brought forth a distant sigh, "A specter is haunting Europe..."

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 905: Skrull Misfortune Strikes (Part 1)