"You too?!"
The words almost made everyone in the prison burst out laughing.
Tony's face turned dark.
This prison was the same one already holding Natasha, Steve, and the others.
Now…the entire Avengers lineup was nearly complete.
And when the figures behind Tony came into view—
"Saitama?! How did you get caught?"
"No way, that's impossible! How could Saitama be arrested?!"
"Tell me this is a bad dream!"
Saitama and Peter Parker walked into the prison, assigned to a so-called "VIP deluxe suite." They looked oddly comfortable.
"Someone's pulling strings. Hydra isn't dead yet—it was my oversight. We need to start thinking this through. What's with the faces?"
Tony sighed, but when he looked at the others, their expressions were strange.
"You're just realizing that now? Stark, your Mark Armor tech leaked, didn't it?"
Steve glared.
"…"
Tony could only groan.
"Look."
Natasha pointed at the wall screen.
The U.S. media tower was broadcasting live.
Invited by the military, every major news outlet was present.
The Secretary of State strode onstage in a sharp suit, with an entire formation of Mark II armors behind him—marching in perfect sync, armored and menacing.
The crowd went silent, cameras snapping like thunder.
"After tireless work by our research teams, we've developed a new Patriot Armor. These are not Stark's private Mark armors—they belong to you. To the world!"
His words echoed grandly.
Reporters went wild.
"Secretary, did this come from Stark Industries?"
"What's the combat power of these suits?"
"Will they be widely available?"
The man raised his hand again. Silence fell.
"From today forward, Mark II armors will be available to U.S. citizens—limited sale."
The room exploded.
"God! Incredible! A new era is here!"
"I must buy one!"
"Long live America!"
"Given rising disasters and monster incidents, every citizen has the right to defend themselves. Price: $100,000 per unit. For purchase, contact Hammer Industries."
Hammer, once disgraced, strutted back into the spotlight, waving proudly.
Then—the Secretary's tone shifted. A projection dropped, showing footage of superheroes destroying cities, killing civilians—including "Saitama."
"These so-called heroes brought only death and chaos. They aren't saviors. We don't need them. We will protect ourselves!"
Chants erupted:
"Arrest the criminals!"
"Expel the heroes!"
"Defend our dignity!"
The uproar spread across the nation, then the world.
Inside the prison, everyone's faces turned grim.
"That bastard played us!"
Tony slammed his fist into the reinforced wall. Even in armor, he couldn't break it.
"Now we're all criminals. How do we clear this?" Steve muttered.
Natasha, Barton, Peter, all looked defeated.
Heroes once admired—now public enemies.
And worse, civilians armed with mass-produced Mark suits would soon become threats themselves.
"Even Saitama's been branded. We have to escape and reveal the truth!" Natasha snapped.
The prison screen flickered. The Secretary's smiling face appeared.
"Comfortable, I hope? I forgot to mention—every cell is wired with 3.9 tons of TNT. If anyone escapes, all of you die. Imagine the broadcast ratings. Sleep tight."
The screen went dark.
"…" Tony.
"…" Natasha.
"…" Steve.
Disgusting. Beyond vile.
One escape, and they'd all be killed.
All eyes turned toward Saitama.
Crunch… crunch…
The sound of chips.
The bald hero had pulled out a bag of discount supermarket chips, along with a red-and-white handheld console. Sitting cross-legged, completely absorbed—
"Wanna play? I was almost at the last level. I'm really good at this game."
(End of Chapter)
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