Victor ignored Mephisto's threats, knowing full well that he still had no chance of defeating him. Even with his current magic abilities, considered among the world's best, that was impossible. Therefore, if he wanted to reclaim his mother's soul from Mephisto, he had to make a deal with him.
Many things could not be achieved both ways. Victor knew he was being unfair to Sebastian in this matter. Once he had rescued his mother's soul, if Sebastian needed it, he would offer his life, or even his soul, to compensate Sebastian. Perhaps this would not be enough to make up for Sebastian's loss, but it was the only way Victor could think of to both save his mother's soul and be worthy of Sebastian.
Taking a deep breath, Victor extended his hand and drew the word "Start" in the air before him. Simultaneously, the word appeared on the tables, the ground, and the walls around the other core members of the Shadow Council, including, of course, M.O.D.O.K., whose soul had been controlled by Sebastian!
Watching the words appear on the wall of the helicopter before him, M.O.D.O.K. immediately informed Sebastian through his unique soul connection.
"Master, the Shadow Council's plan has begun. Their target is the entire Illuminati and the Avengers. When the Illuminati and the Avengers clash, and both are devastated, the Shadow Council will immediately mobilize and eliminate as many of their members as possible."
Hearing the voice in his mind, Sebastian replied directly, "I understand. Continue monitoring. As usual, do not take any additional actions. If anything unexpected happens, contact me immediately."
"Yes, Master!"
After concluding his conversation with M.O.D.O.K., Sebastian looked at Tony and Reed, who were preparing to confront the Green Goblin Norman Osborn, and addressed them directly, "Tony, Reed, the matter of dealing with Osborn can come to an end for now. We were still a step behind the Shadow Council, and now we are on the defensive. Be prepared for some difficult things!"
Tony and Reed were stunned by Sebastian's words, but soon became alert and focused.
"Sebastian, what happened?"
"It has been confirmed that Raina is a member of the Shadow Council!
She has some kind of hormone drug made with Kilgrave's genetic material. On the one hand, she uses prophecies to increase her credibility and authority in the hearts of Carol and others. On the other hand, she uses drugs to make Carol and Medusa, who are closest to her, believe in her without a doubt. Now it has reached the point of blindly following one side.
The previous Banner incident was caused by them. First, it was an important weight to increase Raina's credibility. Second, it planted a seed in everyone's minds that even heroes will become huge disasters due to certain special problems, paving the way for dealing with me and us.
Originally, they might have carried out their plan gradually, but now it seems that our investigation has made the Shadow Council anxious, and they have decided to act against us now.
As for the reason, it is because of my dangerousness, and I took it away before. Using Ghost Rider's power as an excuse, they accuse me of being robbed of my consciousness and becoming a demon, turning Earth into a hellish realm and utterly wiping out humanity.
Perhaps the Avengers will not directly endanger my life, but if they capture me,
I am afraid it will be endless wrangling and entanglement. Besides, I have my own things to do, so I certainly cannot afford to be captured. This will create an irreconcilable conflict between the Avengers and the Illuminati. We might be forced into a civil war to decide the outcome.
Tony and Reed's expressions darkened at Sebastian's words. Although they have both faded somewhat from the Avengers, many of them still count them as their friends. If a fight truly came to blows, even if it did not result in a complete breakup, it would sow a thorn in their hearts. Whether their relationship would ever return to normal was uncertain.
Clearly, this was one of the Shadow Council's main goals: to drive a wedge between the Avengers and the Illuminati, making it difficult for them to unite against them.
"That is a great plan! I think it most likely came from Doctor Doom!"
Reed and the Fantastic Four had already clashed with Victor Von Doom numerous times, both openly and covertly. Perhaps due to their former school rivalry, Reed and Victor were like sworn enemies, their mutual conflicts a daily occurrence.
So, of the people present, Sebastian was arguably the best at understanding Victor, and Reed was undoubtedly second.
"Sebastian, Tony, if a fight really comes down to it, the Fantastic Four can help. We are all on the side of the Illuminati."
Hearing Reed's words, Tony thought for a moment. His comrades were either members of the Illuminati or the Avengers, and it was highly unlikely they could be persuaded to join them. However, there were exceptions. War Machine James Rhodes would clearly support Tony unconditionally, and Sebastian had Wanda and Pietro on his side.
Tony had not considered Peter Parker at all. In the original story, Tony had the government's backing. At least officially, they were on the right side. The people they were dealing with were just former colleagues, and there was no real danger to their lives. So, he asked Peter for help.
But now, they needed to deal with the bewitched Carol and the Shadow Council lurking in the shadows. Their lives could be easily endangered, so Tony had no intention of inviting Peter to join. No matter the outcome, protecting his protégé was imperative.
"Rhodes can stand with us. As for the others..." Tony shrugged, "Can I use the Iron Legion instead?"
"Iron Legion is not necessary. I will have Wanda and Pietro come, and I will ask Vision if he will join us. Just the core members should be enough.
Also, I am planning on finding a sparsely populated area for a proper fight to resolve this matter once and for all. This will also make it easier to deal with the Shadow Council. Otherwise, in a crowded area, they can attack freely, while we will be forced to retreat cautiously, and we will probably be at a disadvantage soon."
"Okay, then you find a place, and we will contact the others."
"Once I find a place, I will open a portal immediately, and you can go directly there. As for Black Bolt and Namor, I will notify them, but I will not ask them to join the fight unless absolutely necessary. After all, they represent other races and are not suitable for casual involvement."
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Author's Note: The stage is set for the Illuminati vs Avengers civil war! Who will survive this battle?
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